Correcting Mistakes
by remora29
Summary: Kagome uses Koga to make Inuyasha jealous hoping that he will treat her better. The plan backfires, Inuyasha is injured and no longer wants her. To win back his love, she must undergo the journey of a lifetime.
1. Mistake

Ok everyone, this is my first fanfic so I hope you will bear with me. I have read all the manga and seen most of the episodes and the first movie, so I should have the names and everything down. Also, while this fanfic is not AU, it will not follow the canon. This story is simply my take on Inuyasha and Kagome's relationship and how he feels about the situation. It is not the most flattering depiction of Kagome, and Kikyo will not be making an appearance, so be forewarned. Ok, enough of the author chitchat...on with the show (or story, in this case).

'_thoughts'_

"speech"

Correcting Mistakes (Chapter 1)

Kagome's POV 

It had been two weeks since Naraku's defeat. Two weeks since Inuyasha almost died and confessed his love to me. It was a difficult battle, even with all of our allies. Shippo was there, even though I terrified that he would be hurt. His foxfire skills had increased, and even though he did not do much damage, he was an integral part of our success because he was able distract him long enough for Sango to land some critical blows with her Hiraikotsu. Miroku worked on the perimeter, sucking up thousands of poisoned insects and lesser demons with his windtunnel. I don't know how he managed to survive the massive poisoning, but he did.

Kouga tried to help, but once Naraku removed his jewel shards, his contribution to the cause was greatly limited. Sesshomaru proved to be our greatest asset. His energy whip allowed him to attack from a distance when he was unable to get close enough to stab with Tokijin. And then there was Inuyasha. He fought with everything he had. Up close, he used his Blades of Blood. From farther away, he used his Wind Scar. He was battered, broken and bruised; yet he refused to give up until Naraku was dead. Ultimately, it was the combination of one of my purity arrows and his Backlash Wave that sent Naraku to hell. I no longer worried about Kikyo taking Inuyasha away from me, for she had given me back the remaining piece of my soul in order for me to have enough power to destroy Naraku.

After it was all over, everyone collapsed from their wounds. Miroku, Sango, and I somehow managed to get the injured Inuyasha back to Kaede's. Before we left, I gathered up Kikyo's remains so that she could be properly re-buried. It was the least that I could do, seeing that she gave up her life to help me. Sesshomaru left on his own, as he did not want our assistance, and Kouga had to get back to his wolf tribe. For two days after we got back to Kaede's village, it was touch and go with Inuyasha. We honestly didn't know if he was going to make it, but I never left his side. When he woke up, he proclaimed his love for me and asked me to be his mate. I happily accepted. We haven't consummated our relationship because we both wanted to wait (and he was injured), but things have slowly gotten back to normal.

"Hey bitch, it's too early to daydream," a smirking Inuyasha called down to me. He was sitting on a branch of the Goshinboku looking every bit as arrogant as someone who had saved the world should.

"You know that's not my name. It's Kagome, remember. Or did your head have too many run-ins with Naraku's fist?" I tease in reply.

"Feh. I know what your name is; I just like calling you that. I mean, after all you are the soon to be mate of a dog demon, so that means you're a bitch!" He laughed, happy about winning the argument.

"Don't make me say it," I threaten.

"Hey, no fair. You promised not to use that any more," he said, a little less certain of himself.

"Well, you're the one that told me not to take them off," I retorted.

"And you know why!" he said, blushing, afraid our friends would overhear.

No one else knew that I had offered to take off the rosary after we defeated Naraku. Inuyasha had proved himself trustworthy to me in my eyes, and I was beginning to feel more than a little guilty about having this power over him. I felt as if it were an unfair advantage, and if we were to be mates, we should be equals. When I tried to remove them, however, he stopped me. He said that he wanted to keep them as a reminder of how we were first bound to each other. It sounded so sweet I couldn't refuse. How I wish I had...

Normal POV 

"Well, let's go. Sango and Miroku should be up now, and you don't want that monk getting any perverted ideas about why we are out so early in the morning," Kagome said, snapping out of her reverie.

"Feh, if he does, I'll just beat them out of him," Inuyasha retorted.

"Promise?" she asked, snickering.

"Yep. Now, about breakfast..."

They went back to Kaede's hut where the others were just getting up. Shippo bounded over to Kagome the minute she walked into the hut.

"Kagome, I'm hungry. Can I have some candy?" He asked as he put on his best puppy-dog face.

"I'm sorry Shippo, but you have to eat your breakfast first," Kagome replied, busy heating the water for the ramen.

"Well Kagome, what's for breakfast then?" Shippo asked, eager to get breakfast out of the way so that he could have his candy.

"Ramen, of course ya little runt," Inuyasha replied, as took the first bowl of ramen from me.

"So, what are we doing today, Inuyasha?" Miroku asked, as he slowly moved his hand toward Sango's behind.

"Shard hunting, of course. I thought we'd start—"

SLAP 

"Pervert!" Sango yelled.

Miroku fell to the ground unconscious. Everyone shook their head and sighed. Sango had already accepted his proposal and agreed to marry him, yet he still couldn't keep his hands to himself. Oh well, once a pervert, always a pervert...

"As I was saying," Inuyasha continued. "I thought we'd head South and go from there."

"That's a dumb plan, Inuyasha," said Kagome. "We haven't heard any shard rumors since we killed Naraku and now we're just going to walk around until we find something?"

"Got any better ideas, _wench_?" Inuyasha retorted.

Her anger rising, Kagome did the one thing she could think of...

"SIT boy! Sit! Sit! Sit!" Then she stalked off from the group.

"Some people never learn," Miroku commented, nursing a bright red handprint on his face.

Later that day, they walked along in silence. Inuyasha was still mad at Kagome for sitting him, and Kagome was still mad that Inuyasha called her a wench. The others were just tired of the couple's antics and decided not to say anything.

'_I can't believe she sat me after she insulted me'_ the enraged hanyou thought.

'_Stupid jerk, always calling me names. Why can't he be more like the boys from my time? They know how to treat a girl right. Or like Koga..._' A devious smile formed on her lips as she plotted her revenge against Inuyasha. They were headed south, after all, and close to his territory. It would do Inuyasha good to get a little jealous. Maybe then he would treat her better. Kagome was so happy with her plan that she let out a little snort. Inuyasha looked at her as if she were crazy and continued sulking.

Suddenly, a dust tornado appeared out of the trees and Inuyasha gave a warning growl.

"Koga" he hissed, the name sounding like poison.

Koga paid no attention to Inuyasha and instead went straight for Kagome who had stepped from behind him.

"Kagome, you're looking well. How's dog-turd treating you?" Koga asked, as he took her hands in his. This action did not go unnoticed by Inuyasha, and he growled low and dangerously in the back of his throat.

"Get the fuck away from her, you wimpy wolf," Inuyasha spat out.

'_Good, good. Now, to make him even more jealous'_ thought Kagome.

"How are you, Koga-_kun_? We haven't seen you in such a long time and I've missed you," Kagome said sweetly. Then she did the unthinkable: she reached up and kissed Koga on the cheek. Inuyasha looked like he was about to explode from rage, while Sango, Miroku and Shippo wondered what Kagome was doing.

"Sango, do you think it is wise of Kagome to treat Koga in such a familiar way knowing how he and Inuyasha feel about each other?" Miroku asked in a hushed whisper, clearly confused.

"No, I don't, but I don't know what's going on in that mind of hers. I hope she knows what she's doing, or this could get ugly," Sango replied, remembering her training about demons and their mating habits.

"Oh my sweet Kagome, always concerned for me. I'm sorry it took me so long to get to you, but I've been busy preparing our den for your arrival. Now that Naraku's dead, you're coming with me. I've left you with mutt-face far too long, and now it's time for you to take your place at my side," Koga said.

"The hell she will," Inuyasha roared as he lunged at Koga. "Kagome is staying here with me, where she belongs."

"You can't make _my_ woman stay with you. She's mine, and she's coming with me."

"We'll see about that," Inuyasha said, drawing Tessaiga to attack.

"Ha! Like you could defeat me with that overgrown fang," Koga smirked, preparing to charge Inuyasha.

Kagome looked mildly amused at the situation before her. They were always like this. Koga comes, compliments her, Inuyasha gets jealous, they fight a little, she sits Inuyasha, Koga runs off, and all is right with the world. Today would be just like any other day, or so she thought.

"I can and will kill you with Tessaiga. Kagome is my mate, and I'll be damned if she's going anywhere with you!" Inuyasha yelled, ready to kill Koga without a thought.

"You can't claim my woman. I already said she was mine," Koga growled, equally pissed. From the sidelines, Kagome started to get a bad feeling. Maybe it wasn't the best idea to make Inuyasha jealous of Koga. Oh well, if it got out of hand, she could just sit Inuyasha so Koga could escape.

Inuyasha lunged at Koga, intent on slicing him in half, but Koga was too quick for him. Even without the jewel shards, he was still very fast. Koga quickly turned and punched Inuyasha in the stomach, causing him to fly into a nearby tree.

"Is that all you got, dog-boy? Now I know you're lying about Kagome wanting to be your mate. She'd never get with someone so weak." Koga said, gloating.

Inuyasha didn't even bother answering. He just got up and charged at Koga again. This time, however, he anticipated Koga stepping to the side and turned at the right time in order to slash Koga across his arm. Koga looked shocked at first, then pissed. He ran to Inuyasha and punched him in the head, causing him to stagger. While he was off guard, Koga kicked him in leg, almost breaking his knee. Inuyasha got up and continued to fight, despite his injuries.

Kagome watched the fight with growing trepidation as she realized that they were actually trying to kill each other. She frantically thought of something to do to get them to stop, since they weren't paying attention to her yelling their names. As Inuyasha got ready to deliver the deathblow with Tessaiga, Kagome took action. It was a move she would later regret.

"Inuyasha, SIT boy! Sit! Sit! Sit! Sit!" she screamed, as Inuyasha cursed and struggled against the spell.

"Oh no!" gasped Sango, Miroku and Shippo, fully understanding the implications of her actions.

Kagome had thought that if she sat Inuyasha, Koga would run away and return to his pack, but she was wrong. Inuyasha wasn't the only one out for blood, so was Koga.

"See, dog-breath. I knew she loved me. Why else would she subdue you so that I could kill you with ease?" Koga asked, as he prepared to stomp on Inuyasha's back, breaking his spine.

"Koga, don't!" Kagome screamed, hoping that he would listen. But he didn't. He raised his leg and slammed down on Inuyasha as hard as he could. A sickening crack resounded throughout the clearing.

"No!" Kagome screamed, running over to Inuyasha. "Why did you do that?" she sobbed, unable to hold back all tears.

"I had to defeat him in order to properly claim you. You are mine now, and no one can take you away," Koga replied smugly.

"I'm not going with you," Kagome said in a deadly calm voice. "You killed him. I will never go anywhere with you!"

"I think you're wrong. Nothing's stopping me from taking you now," Koga said, still oblivious to her distress. He reached out to touch her arm and was burned. He howled and drew back.

"If you don't leave right now, I'll purify you. I hate you, and I never want to see you again. If I do, I'll kill you," she stated. Kagome then turned on her heel and kneeled next to Inuyasha. He was still alive, but barely. His spine was broken in several places, and he was bleeding heavily. His breath was labored, and he was unconscious. They had to get him back to Kaede's quickly, but were afraid to move him because of his condition.

Finally, they decided to risk loading him onto Kirara and flying him back. Miroku and Shippo flew back with Inuyasha, while Sango and Kagome walked because there was not enough room. The friends walked in silence for a while, until Sango couldn't hold it in any more.

"Kagome, why did you do that?" Sango asked. She had to know what possessed her best friend to act in such a rash way.

Kagome didn't say anything. She had been asking herself the same thing. What had seemed like a good plan at first turned into her worst nightmare. Inuyasha was injured, he might not even recover, and it was her fault. More than that, she was the one that initiated the fight that lead to his condition.

"I don't know. After the argument this morning, I thought it would be good to get Inuyasha jealous. He's always so rude, and I thought if he saw how I responded to Koga's treatment, he'd treat me better. I didn't know this would happen," she replied.

"But Kagome, you should have known better. Inuyasha and Koga have always fought over you. And Kaede explained to you that once you accepted to be Inuyasha's mate, he would be even more possessive of you. He saw Koga as a threat to him and did what only comes natural—protected himself."

"I know, Sango, but I—" Kagome started, but Sango cut her off.

"No, you don't know because if you did, you wouldn't have done this. Kagome, you helped his enemy in a battle against him. He almost died because of it. How do you think he's going to feel when he wakes up, if he wakes up?" Sango questioned. She loved Kagome like a sister and generally sided with her, but today was not a day for sympathy. Kagome was wrong, and her actions hurt someone they cared about. She needed to understand that this fight wouldn't be resolved like the others. Inuyasha wouldn't sulk and pout until he decided to come get her or apologize. Sango didn't know what he would do.

"Oh God," Kagome moaned. "He's going to think I've betrayed him, just like Kikyo. I have to get to him and make him understand."

Kagome started walking faster, hoping that she could make it to Kaede's before Inuyasha awakened. She wanted to explain everything to him. She wanted him to forgive her.


	2. Awakening

_**Oh yeah, I don't own Inuyasha, so don't sue me. Well, you could, but all you'd get is 3 cents and a stick of gum. I do, however, own my plotline, so if you steal it, I'll sue you so that I can have more than 3 cents and a stick of gum :)**_

_**Now, on to chapter 2...**_

Correcting Mistakes

Chapter 2: Awakening

By: Remora29

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Miroku lifted Inuyasha off Kirara and took him into Kaede's hut. When she saw him, she could barely contain a gasp. His right arm and leg were sticking out at weird angles letting her know that they were broken. His head flopped around like a rag doll, and he was covered in cuts and bruises. But what was worse is the fact that that his torso felt like a pillow. All of the bones were broken and out of place, and she was surprised that he managed to stay alive long enough to reach her hut.

"Miroku, could ye lay him on the bed? I need to inspect his wounds," Kaede said. Miroku quietly did as she asked. As Kaede checked Inuyasha, Miroku went to a nearby stream and gathered water, knowing the priestess would need it to clean his wounds.

"What happened?" Kaede asked him as soon as he came back. He knew she would want to know about the day's events, but he didn't trust himself to tell her fearing that she would blame herself for giving Kagome the necklace. As he fought his own internal war, he could feel Kaede's eyes staring at him, waiting for an answer. With a sigh, he decided to tell her the truth.

"He got into a fight," Miroku said with a half-hearted smile, stalling for time.

"I figured that," Kaede retorted, not amused by antics.

"Lady Kaede, I do not wish to trouble you with what happened, but you have a right to know," Miroku said with a sigh. He then proceeded to tell her everything that happened, not leaving out anything.

"Tis worse than I thought, Miroku, but it does explain why he seems to have given up the will to live. I know not what keeps him alive, to be honest, and even if he does live, I cannot tell you if he will ever be the same. He has been betrayed and broken by one he loved, and this time, there was no trickery involved," the old priestess remarked, eyes downcast.

Miroku wanted to say something, but he didn't know what. He really wanted to know what Kagome was thinking when she pulled that stunt. Kaede had explained to her that Inuyasha most likely would not want her and Koga associating at all, or at least not until they were properly mated, but she hadn't listened. And to make matters worse, she kissed Koga. It was no wonder that Inuyasha didn't want to live. He probably felt as if he had nothing to live for, and that was a shame. Even though they were not open with their feelings, everyone in their rag-tag group considered the others family. If Inuyasha didn't make it, they would all mourn his loss. Miroku would lose his best friend. Sango would lose her brother-in-arms. Shippo would lose his surrogate father. Kaede would lose a friend as well. And Kagome, well to be honest, Miroku didn't know what Kagome would lose, if anything. He knew he shouldn't think that way, but he was beginning to get very angry with the young girl from the future. He was so lost in thought that he didn't hear Shippo come up to him and sit in his lap.

"Miroku," Shippo hesitated, "is Inuyasha going to be all right?"

The sound of the kit's voice broke his train of thoughts and Miroku realized that Shippo wanted an answer. The only problem was, he didn't know what to say.

"To be honest Shippo, I don't know. The situation is grave, but Kaede's doing all she can to help him," Miroku replied. Shippo's eyes filled with tears.

"I don't want him to die, the jerk. Why did he have to fight anyway," the kit wailed, inconsolable.

Miroku, at a loss for what to say or do, simply let Shippo vent his emotions and patted him on the back. He tried to soothe him as best he could, but he knew it was useless because he was hurting inside as well. Unlike Shippo, however, he was better able to control his emotions, so his face registered only the faintest trace of the pain he felt.

This was the scene Kagome and Sango returned to when they got back to the village: Shippo wailing while Miroku tried to comfort him. Hearing the kit's cries made Kagome's insides turn and she had to hold back the vomit that threatened to rise. She quickly made her way over to the pair to hear about Inuyasha's condition. When she got there, she wasn't prepared for what she saw. For the first time since their group had formed, Miroku and Shippo looked at her with something more than friendship and adoration; they looked at her with anger. Unable to bear their accusing gazes, she stared at the ground.

"How is he?" she whispered, hardly able to form the words.

"Talk to Kaede," Miroku told her, "she can tell you more about his present condition than we can."

Kagome slowly made her way to the hut, dreading both the sight of her beloved in pain and Kaede's scorn. Finally, she entered the hut and went into the back room where Kaede was tending to Inuyasha. The old woman looked up at her with kind, but troubled eyes.

"He lives still, but for how long I cannot tell ye. Child, I must know: what possessed you to do such a thing?" Kaede asked the one question on everyone's minds.

Kagome couldn't take it any more and broke down into sobs.

"I don't know. I don't know. I wish I could take it back. I'm so so—" Kagome started, but she was cut off.

"It is not I that ye need to apologize to. Ye have done more harm than ye could ever know. He no longer wishes to live, and I don't know how much longer I can keep him alive. Ye must find a way to bring him back, but I warn ye that he may not be the same person he was before this incident," Kaede explained.

But Kagome didn't care. As long as there was something that she could do to bring her love back, she would do it. Even if he hated her, she would nurse him back to life. It was the least that she could do, being the cause of his suffering.

From that moment on, Kagome took over Inuyasha's care. Anything he needed, she did for him. She placed cool cloths on his forehead when he got a fever. She crushed aspirins and mixed them with water to dull the pain of his broken body. She dribbled broth and water between his parched lips to make sure he ate during his recovery. She didn't even go home during that time and she normally went to see her family once a week on the weekends. Since her high school graduation, she had spent most of her time in the feudal era, but she was sure her family was worried. After a month of her gentle ministrations, Inuyasha began to show signs of life. He didn't wake up from his coma yet, but he didn't whimper in pain as much as he had before.

Six weeks after the incident, the moment Kagome had been both dreading and anticipating happened: Inuyasha awakened.

"Ugh," he grunted as he tried to move his body. He was almost fully healed, but his limbs were stiff from their healing and lack of use. Kagome, who had been napping in another corner of the room, woke up when she heard him groan.

"Oh Inuyasha, you're awake!" she cried, throwing herself on him. Tears rolled down her face and wet his blanket, but she didn't care. Now she knew he was going to live; now she could begin to atone for her actions.

When Kagome threw herself on Inuyasha, a flurry of emotions ran through his mind. The first was pain because although he was healed, his body was still sore. Next were anger, betrayal, despair, and finally love. Yes, as much as he hated himself for it, he still loved her. It hurt his heart deeply to know this, because he couldn't trust her. Part of him, the piece of his soul that loved her, wanted to gather her in his arms, comfort her, and reassure her that everything would be fine. However, most of him wanted her to leave him alone forever.

"Get off me," he said. It was quiet and soft, as his throat was dry from weeks of neglect, but the undercurrent of steel in those words could not be missed.

Kagome stopped crying and looked at him. What she saw broke her heart. His normally bright and expressive amber eyes were dull and emotionless. His face had slackened into a countenance that betrayed nothing of how he felt. He reminded her of Sesshomaru when he looked at her, and that thought sent a shiver up her spine.

"Inuyasha, please, let me explain," she cried, hoping he would give her a chance to tell him why she did what she had done.

"What's to explain?" he growled out. "You sat me during a fight with Koga. It's clear to me who you care more about—him. You used these damned beads for him, not for me. Why are you even here?"

"Because I love you, Inuyasha, and I'm sorry," she said quietly, letting the full extent of his words hit her.

"You love me?" he asked, sarcasm evident in his voice. Then he did something uncharacteristic of himself—he laughed. Only it was not a laugh filled with mirth and happiness but one rife with pain and bitterness.

"You don't love me. If you loved me, you wouldn't have allowed me to get hurt. You betrayed me. You're no better than Kikyo. In fact, you're worse. You led me to believe that you loved me for myself, something even Kikyo couldn't claim. You showed me glimpses of a life beyond prejudice and fear. You promised me a family, a home, a place to call my own, then you destroyed it with one word: Sit," he ground out through clenched teeth. Even though he was angry with her, it was still difficult for him to give up all those dreams he had dared hoped would come true.

"We can still have those things, Inuyasha. We can still have a family, a home, and a life together if you want it. I do love you and I'm sorry for what I've done. I just wanted you to get jealous so that you would treat me better. I know it was stupid and I'm sorry," she explained, hoping that he wouldn't turn her away.

"Jealous? You wanted me to get jealous? You really are something, you know that?" he stated coldly.

"All those times you, Miroku and Sango would talk about how stupid I was because I got jealous of Koga when it was obvious that you only wanted friendship from him and nothing else. How I had no right to be jealous since I was two-timing you with Kikyo," he said, pissed off. "I felt bad about hurting you when I went to see Kikyo, but I had to work out my feelings for her on my own. We were betrayed, Kagome. Fooled into hurting each other and I felt that I owed her something. But I always tried to respect your feelings when it came to the subject. I would tell you about the meetings and try not to hurt you. I felt badly about hurting you. I didn't feel worthy of your love."

"There were even times I felt that you deserved Koga, Hojo or anyone who wasn't me. That I wasn't good enough for you. I mean, who would want a worthless hanyou? A person with no real home to call his own. All I had to offer was my love, and I foolishly believed that was enough," he continued.

"I would have given you anything to make you happy, Kagome," he sighed, close to tears. "Hell, I've practically turned into your fucking lapdog, and you know it. You force me to do your bidding by holding that damn rosary around my neck like a noose. I mean, I know that I'm gruff, but I do have feelings, and it hurt to hear everyone talk about me like I didn't exist. I have been trying so hard these past few weeks to make you happy, and then you pull that shit. I don't deserve to be treated like this!" he screamed out.

"I told you I was sorry," she yelled, "what more do you want from me?"

"I want you to take them off," he stated, pointing to the rosary.

"Why?" she asked in a small voice, afraid of his answer.

"Because I no longer want to be bound to you," he replied.

"Wh-what do you mean?" she stammered.

"I mean that I no longer want to be your mate," he replied in a cold voice that would rival Sesshomaru's.

At his words, Kagome could no longer contain her tears. She shakily reached around his neck and lifted off the prayer beads over his head. Then she cried into her hands as she slumped down on the floor with arms around her knees. Inuyasha felt a fresh pain in his heart at her distress, and he could hear a small voice in his mind.

'_Mate is upset. Make mate feel better'_

But he chose to ignore it. No matter how much he loved her, he couldn't trust her. And they would not be able to have a relationship without trust. He held back a few tears of his own as he realized that he was yet again to be alone. Part of him felt as if it were his destiny to be by himself, always loving others, but never being loved in return. Dejected, he shakily got up off the futon to leave the room.

"Wait," Kagome cried, "can't we work this out?" She really did love him and didn't want him to leave her.

"No, we can't," he said in a voice barely above a whisper. "You made your choice when you used the rosary. You can't be naive enough to expect me to come back to you now. Leave me alone. You get to run away to your time when you're upset at me, so now it's my turn. Only, I don't expect you to follow me."

"Please don't, Inuyasha. I need you, I want you, I love you," she stated.

"Your words may be true, but I can't believe anything you say any more. I can't trust you. Kagome, if you really love me, you'll let me go. You wouldn't want to be bound to a bitter, broken man, even if it was of your own doing," replied Inuyasha.

With those words, he turned and strode out of the hut, despite his pain. He never looked back.

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_AN: Another chapter done. I hope you all enjoyed it. I'll try to update once or twice a week, depending on my work schedule, not on the number of reviews. Reviews are nice, but I'm writing this story because I want to write it._

**Inu-Shinta:I like fanfics where Kagome ends feeling guilty for subduing Inuyasha because if you think about it, having the subduing rosary around him   
makes Inuyasha seem like a fucking house pet**.

_I completely agree, Inu-Shinta, and thanks for your review. That's actually why I decided to write this story. It's purpose is to protect her from him if he tries to harm her, or, as she found out, when he turns demon. It is not there for her to get out her aggression, force him to do something he doesn't want to do, or because he annoys her. I mean, I like Kagome and all, but I thought it would be interesting to write about an intelligent Inuyasha, not the dummy who most people perceive him to be. _


	3. Decisions

**Me no ownie. Me wish me ownie. If me ownie, me wouldn't have massive student loans.**

Correcting Mistakes

Chapter 3: Alone

By: Remora29

Alone.

He was completely, utterly alone. He hurt both physically and emotionally. How could she? Why? She had tried to explain, but he couldn't let her. Even though six weeks had passed since the incident, for him the wound was too fresh, too new. Hearing her voice, smelling her tears only made him feel worse. Her mere presence just rubbed salt into gaping hole in his heart.

After he left Kaede's hut, he wandered aimlessly through the forest surrounding the village. He didn't know where he was going, and he didn't care. All he knew was that he had to get away from her—her scent, her voice, her tears—everything about her. She haunted his footsteps, and his mind was so cloudy from the pain and emotional turmoil that he thought he would go insane. Inuyasha drug his tired, broken body until he felt as if he would collapse. He didn't know where he had stopped, and he didn't care. All he knew is that he couldn't go on. When he looked up, his heart stopped.

The Goshinboku.

The place where they first met. He should have known that he would end up there. Something about that tree drew him in. Inuyasha always felt he could think and sleep better in that tree than anywhere else. It was the one place that felt like home, and now it was his sanctuary. He leapt up into the tree with a grace that belied his injuries and settled upon his favorite branch. Then he did something he hadn't done in a while: he cried.

Thinking about everything that happened, he was overwhelmed and could only bow his head as the tears coursed down his face.

----------**FLASHBACK**----------

_He thought back to the first time where he realized that he felt something for her—when she asked to stay with him even though he promised to go to Hell with Kikyo. _

'_Can I stay here with you, by your side?'_

_Her voice, her smile—he didn't think that he deserved her and seriously contemplated refusing her. In the end, he let her continue with the quest because to turn her away would hurt her more, and he didn't want to cause her more pain._

'_You don't have to force yourself to sit here, you know' he said, after he lost control of his demonic side and slaughtered the group of bandits. _

The way she refused to leave him, her constant support amazed him. Once again, he felt unworthy of her, and pushed away his feelings in favor of her finding love with someone deserving of her love.

The kiss she gave him in Kaguya's castle, to bring him back to himself. He considered it his first real kiss. Sure, he had kissed Kikyo before, but her kisses were always cold and devoid of life. With Kagome, even though his demon blood clouded his mind, he could feel her warmth, sense her love. It gave him hope that she might return his feelings, and convinced him to pursue her.

----------**END FLASHBACK**----------

Sango, Miroku and Shippo anxiously watched the heartbroken half-demon from a distance. They could only imagine how he felt if he was openly crying. The scene before them was one of the most depressing sights they had ever seen.

"He can't go on like this much longer," Sango said, shaking her head sadly.

"I know, Sango, but there isn't anything we can do. He will have to sort through his feelings," Miroku replied.

Shippo listened to the monk and demon slayer's conversation with interest. He had never seen Inuyasha like this, and even though Shippo liked to tease him, he would never want him to look like he did then. He just didn't understand what was making him feel so bad.

"Why don't they just kiss and make up?" Shippo asked. "Kagome already said she's sorry, so they should be ok, right?"

"Shippo, it's much more complex than that. Kagome, whether she meant to do so or not, shattered the bonds of trust between her and Inuyasha. He's feeling betrayed, more so now than he did with Kikyo because he and Kagome were much closer," Miroku explained. "To be honest Shippo, I don't know if they'll ever be ok."

With those words hanging in the air, the trio quieted, each one thinking about the half-demon and the priestess.

In the Goshinboku, Inuyasha could hear his friends' discussion, but he paid it no attention. He was too wrapped up in his own grief to indulge that of others. He replayed all the times that Kagome had sat him because she was upset with him or he did something that displeased her. As these thoughts ran through his head, he got more and more pissed. She used him to vent her frustrations and enforce her will upon him and the others. He hated her, and he doubted if he would ever forgive her.

The more he thought, the more enraged he became. It didn't help his mood any to feel her aura nearby.

'_Dammit! I asked her not to follow me and she can't even do that. Why won't she leave me alone? If she wants to see how I feel, she should be prepared.'_

Inuyasha jumped out of the tree, heading toward the familiar aura. He was a blur of silver and red in the forest, running toward her with one goal: to get her to leave him alone. When he came upon her, she wasn't shocked. It seemed as if she was waiting for him. He stopped a few feet in front of her, his impermeable facade in place once more. He could tell that she'd been crying, but at that point he didn't give a rat's ass. She should be crying for all the pain she put him through.

"Inuyasha, please talk to me," Kagome begged, looking into his eyes.

"No," came her reply.

"Please, I'm really sorry. I didn't realize what I was doing. I never meant—"

"Never meant what? To hurt me? That's a laugh. You meant it then, just like you meant it every other time you did it. You've always used that rosary out of spite. Don't fucking lie and tell me that shit because I don't believe you," he spat out.

"I just want you back. I'll do anything to make it up to you. Just let me know," she pleaded.

"Stop lying to me!" yelled the enraged half-demon.

"I'm not lying. I'll do anything you ask, just don't leave me!"

"No, you won't. I asked you not to follow me, but you did. You've been hovering around me the entire time. Did you honestly think that I couldn't feel your aura or smell your presence? Do you really think I'm that stupid?" he demanded.

"No," she gasped, "it's not that, it's that I wanted to make sure that you didn't leave me."

"That's my point. You don't listen to me when I ask you to do something, and you disregard my feelings. I've told you that I can't do this any more, but you think by following me here you can change my mind and get me to do what you want. Everything's not about you, and I just figured that out. I've got to take care of myself, because you've made it clear to me that I can rely on no one!" he said in such a low voice that she almost didn't hear him.

"Since you won't leave me alone, I'll go. I'm leaving, and I'm not coming back," with those words, he turned away from and strode through the forest. He walked for hours before he even realized that his body had unconsciously taken him West, to the home of his ancestors and his brother, the Western Lands.

After Inuyasha left her, Kagome collapsed onto the ground. She wanted to cry, but no tears would come. She tried to comfort herself the best she could, but it was of no matter. She knew that she had screwed everything up in the first place, and her stubborn nature just made things worse.

'I should have left him alone. If I did, maybe he would have forgiven me after a while, but no, I had to force a confrontation. Stupid Kagome, when will you ever learn?'

Kagome was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she didn't hear Sango and Miroku approach. They looked at the girl's condition, and even though they felt pity for her, decided that she needed to understand the gravity of her actions.

"Kagome," Sango started, "do you realize what you've done?"

"Yes," she replied, "I hurt him and he hates me. He'll never forgive me."

"Lady Kagome, I'm afraid the situation is more grim than that and you have no idea what he's going through. He doesn't hate you; quite the contrary, he loves you. He doesn't trust you. You used the rosary on him and made him vulnerable to attack. You caused him to endure such physical and emotional pain that he wanted to die. Then you disregarded his feelings by coming to him even after he asked you not to follow him," Miroku said.

"But I didn't mean to do that. I just wanted him to be more considerate," Kagome protested.

"Kagome, we know what you wanted, but did you ever think about what he wanted?" Sango questioned. "You want him to be more like the boys from your time, but that's the problem. He's not from your time and he never will be. He has shown you more consideration in his actions over the years than anyone in your time possibly could."

"How many times has he saved you, Kagome?" Miroku asked. "How many times was he mortally wounded to protect you? And yet you ask him to be more considerate of your feelings. You say you don't want to change him, yet you try to make him into something he's not. Maybe you and Kikyo aren't as different as you would like to believe?"

"I'm not like her. I'm nothing like her!" Kagome vehemently denied.

"Are you so sure?" Sango asked. She hated to see her friend in such pain, but she knew that it was inevitable. She needed to understand fully her actions so that then she would be able to deal with the consequences.

"I accept him as he is. I don't want him to become human," Kagome protested, although she felt her argument was weak.

"But you want him to act like the humans from your time," Miroku reprimanded. "You will have to decide: accept him as he is—a gruff, annoying half-demon—or not at all. You may once again have a chance at his heart, but if you haven't decided on how you feel about him, you will lose him forever."

"What do you mean? I don't understand?" Kagome asked, perplexed.

"What Miroku is trying to say," Sango interrupted, "is that even though you have hurt him dearly, Inuyasha will come to you wanting to work things out. It is how he is. He hates to see you in pain, but he's in so much pain himself that he can't deal with yours. When he comes for you, you will have to have your decision ready or else he will never talk to you again."

"What decision?" Kagome asked, still confused. It wasn't a wonder that she didn't understand; she could be incredibly dense at times.

"Whether you will submit to him, allow him to dominate you the way male demons do," Miroku replied.

"What? Let him boss me around? You've got to be kidding!" she exclaimed, horrified at the idea of being submissive to Inuyasha.

"No, we're serious. And this situation is serious. If you don't submit, he will not take you as a mate and will never come near you again," the monk told her, his face indicating the gravity of the situation.

"Think carefully, Kagome. You're decision will not only affect your life, but that of Inuyasha, Shippo, Miroku and myself," Sango told her. With that comment, the demon slayer and the monk left the bewildered young girl alone. She needed time to think about everything without interruption; she was about to make one of the most important decisions of her life.


	4. Journeys

**Sigh**—Sorry that it has taken me so long to get this next chapter up. Finals period, interviews, visits home and life have kept me quite busy these last few weeks. I've also been spending time plotting out the rest of the story, and it seems that I'm finally on track.

Ok, review responses are at the bottom, and I fixed the problem so people can't leave anonymous reviews.

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Inuyasha in any way, shape or form. I couldn't draw if my life depended on it, and my story-telling skills are not that great. I do own this plot, however, and if you steal it, I will sue you so I can pay off my loans :).

Correcting Mistakes 

**Chapter 4: Journeys**

By: Remora29 

As Inuyasha made his way to his brother's land, he reflected upon everything that had happened to him since Naraku's defeat. Proposing to Kagome, making preparations for their human wedding ceremony in her time and his, gathering the necessities for their demon mating, Koga...The happier times made him smile, but when he got to Koga, he frowned and felt the need to punch something. After whipping out Tessaiga and obliterating a few trees, he calmed down substantially and continued on his journey.

It was funny to him the way things changed. All of his life, his brother had hated him for what he was--a half-breed. Neither demon nor human, and shunned by all. Demons and humans weren't meant to get along, let alone procreate. His birth was nothing short of a miracle. His father and mother chose to have him and bring him into this world; they knew that his life would be hard, but they were sure that they would be able to protect him from the world until he could care for himself. They were wrong, and he was left alone at an early age, fending for himself and barely surviving. Sesshomaru, as his older brother, should have taken care of him, but he was jealous that his father had taken such an interest in the filthy creature and left him the Tessaiga. He had tried to kill him on more than one occasion, and often threatened the ones he loved more times than he cared to remember. But when he really needed Sesshomaru, he was there for him.

Sesshomaru had come to realize that his father, in his infinite wisdom, had made the right choice in leaving Tessaiga to Inuyasha. Humans were weaker than demons and needed protection, and not all were bad or beneath him as Sesshomaru had previously thought. The girl Rin was one example. She helped him when he was ill, and would not leave him alone even when asked. When he came across her dead body and revived her, he didn't understand what had caused him to do so. It was only recently that he learned that it was a feeling he had not had before: compassion. And Sesshomaru believed that if he could have compassion for an innocent child who did nothing but help him and love him, then he should make amends with his brother. So, a few weeks before the final battle, Sesshomaru and Inuyasha had a long overdue conversation. They sat and talked, without swords or interruptions, for two days. Inuyasha vented all his anger and frustration at his brother, and Sesshomaru explained his actions. In the end, they had come to the agreement that when the final battle occurred, Sesshomaru would help Inuyasha and the others defeat Naraku. After that, Inuyasha would be welcome to return to the Western Lands as his proper role as second in command. While Inuyasha had explained the first part about Sesshomaru's help, he didn't tell his friends about moving to the Western Lands. He needed to think it over, and decide if he really wanted to return. The day before the Incident (as he now referred to Kagome's betrayal), he had resolved to return and was trying to find a way to tell the ones that he loved.

'_The ones I love_,' he thought to himself. Why did he keep repeating that? Who did that entail? He didn't want to think about those things, but he couldn't keep it off his mind. He knew who his loved ones were—Sango, Miroku, Shippo, Kaede, and, as much as he despised himself for it, Kagome. They had stuck with him through all the pain and trials of reforming the jewel and defeating Naraku, and they would be more than welcome to join him in the Western Lands. In fact, he wished they were with him now. He could really use their friendship and advice.

'_As much as I_ _want to hate her, I can't. Why do I still love her, after she hurt me so much? I didn't tell them how much damage she really did. Before she sat me, I was already injured, and her sitting me only made them worse. Then, after Koga broke almost every bone in my body, I felt like giving up. My spirit was leaving when I saw my mother. She made me return to my body because she said I hadn't finished my life's tasks yet and I had to rise to the challenge. After I returned to my body, I felt my bones try to reconnect. It took them a long time to restore themselves, and I felt every new connection made. It was excruciating. I don't understand why I had to feel that. I just wanted to die...'_

Shaking his head to clear his depressing thoughts, Inuyasha looked up and saw that the sun had almost set. He was still a little sore, so he decided to catch some food and rest. After a quick dinner of roasted fish, he found a suitable tree and hopped into one of its sturdy upper branches. Breathing deeply, he relaxed himself and soon found a troubled rest.

Sango, Shippo and Miroku silently watched as Inuyasha sped away from Kagome. If he knew they were there, he didn't acknowledge him. He ran as if the hounds of hell were at his heels, but none of them could blame him. How else should he feel toward the woman who had ripped his heart out and almost had him killed? None of them wanted him to leave, but they knew that he needed time alone to take care of himself.

A quiet sob caught their attention and forced them to turn and look at Kagome. She was a pitiful sight. Black bags hung low beneath her eyes, which were clouded over with regret and sorrow. She looked as if she hadn't slept in a week with her rumpled and disheveled clothing. Her body looked markedly thinner, as if she hadn't eaten in a while. In short, she looked like hell. The remaining members of the fractured group wanted to comfort her, but didn't. She needed to understand the repercussions of her actions and face them on her own, without interference. They quietly left the forest and made their way back to Kaede's hut.

"I fear we have been remiss in our dealings with Kagome," Miroku said into the tense silence.

"How so?" Shippo asked, not understanding.

"We've been treating Kagome like she's from our time when she really isn't. Here, by her age, she would have been married with a child or two. In her world, she's still considered a child, and her recent behavior has shown me how wrong we were in our dealings with her...

"None of us said anything when she used the rosary excessively because we thought that it was amusing. We would all laugh, call Inuyasha names, and basically put him down in front of her. We took her side in every argument, and let her have her way in almost everything. In essence, we made her the leader when she really wasn't," he finished.

"But we were just having fun. I don't think we hurt the jerk; it's hard to hurt his feelings," Shippo retorted.

"No Shippo, you're wrong. Inuyasha has feelings; he just rarely lets others see them. We shouldn't have always sided with one and not the other. I'm not saying Kagome wasn't justified in using the subduing spell sometimes, just not always. And she is childish in some ways, we just overlooked it," Sango replied, for once agreeing with the monk.

"So what do we do now?" Shippo whined. He didn't want his family to break apart, but he felt helpless to stop it.

"Nothing," Miroku replied. "We wait for Inuyasha to contact Kagome and see where we go from there." With that comment, the group headed inside for a much-needed rest.

Days passed with still no word from Inuyasha. Then weeks. The group tried to return to a semblance of their normal life. Sango and Miroku would often venture to one of the nearby villages to perform exorcisms and small demon exterminations. They never really left for a long time or encountered many problems, but they needed to be doing something. All of the sitting and waiting was driving them insane, and, if they thought about it enough, they were running away from Kagome.

Kagome was in terrible shape. She barely ate or slept, and spent her days sitting beneath the Goshinboku waiting for word of her beloved. At night, when she came into the hut to sleep, she would curl into a ball, silently crying to herself and cursing her stupidity. She missed Inuyasha: his eyes, his hair, his laugh, and his swagger, everything about the young hanyou that she had betrayed. Beaten down by life, she was ready to do whatever it took to regain his love and be by his side forever. After all, that's what she promised him, wasn't it? And she wasn't about to go back on this promise.

One morning, about three months after Inuyasha's departure, Kagome felt a prick on her skin and swatted at something—Myoga.

"Ah, good morning Kagome. And how are you today?" Myoga asked, only to be polite. Anyone could look at the girl and tell that she was in bad shape. He actually pitied her. He knew she was suffering, but so was Lord Inuyasha, and it was his duty to make sure she understood this.

"Myoga!" she yelled, happy to see him. "How's Inuyasha?"

Myoga knew she would ask him about his master, and he didn't want to lie to her, but he also didn't want her to know how badly Inuyasha was doing. Instead of lying, he decided to ignore the question completely.

"Kagome, we have much to discuss. Lord Inuyasha has sent me here to bring you and your friends to him. He desires to speak with you."

Kagome didn't know how to react to the news. Should she be happy that he wanted to talk to her or sad that he sent Myoga to her with the message instead of telling her himself? Did he still hate her or did he want to work things out? Would she have a chance to redeem herself or would she be condemned to love him from afar? She was so wrapped up in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed that the others had entered the hut and were conversing with Myoga.

"Is that okay with you, Kagome? Kagome? Hello?" Sango asked, trying to figure out if Kagome was fine with their plan to leave out in the morning for the Western Lands.

"Huh? Oh yeah, sure that's fine," she replied, distractedly. Her heart was pounding so hard she could hear it in her ears. She stayed slightly outside the circle of her friends, pondering her situation.

The others looked on at Kagome with mixed feelings. She seemed distant, but greedily ate the stew that they offered her for lunch. They could tell that she didn't know what to think about this recent development, but that she saw it as more of a positive sign than anything else. Also, they thought it would be good for her to get out on the road again and out of the village. She had moped around so long that people began to avoid her, thinking she had been cursed.

Dinnertime rolled around and the companions had finally finished talking to Myoga. He bid them farewell as he had other matters that needed his attention. Kagome had sat in a shocked stupor all day and had hardly spoken to the others. At least she ate dinner—in fact she had two helpings. Everyone was happy that she was getting her appetite back, although they were uncertain as to the outcome of her meeting with Inuyasha. None of them wanted to think about their group splitting up, so they decided to dwell on happier memories. The atmosphere of the hut was the lightest it had been since the Incident

Everyone went to bed early so that they could be well rested for the journey. Right after dawn, the travelers set out toward their friend's new residence, the Lord's Castle of the Western Lands. They knew not what awaited them, but they looked forward to the journey with eagerness, if only to see Inuyasha again.

**Review Responses:**

**OmegaNight:** I'm so glad that you like my story. I just found yours, _Life Without Him_, and I really enjoy it. About InuYasha's OOC-ness—yes, it is a plot device. I want him to punish her, and he will, but I couldn't have him do it with the regular yelling and screaming. She betrayed him and hurt him deeply, so I felt something a little more drastic was in order. That's what the next chapter is about—Kagome learning what she has to do to be forgiven. About the pairings: there were be some Miroku and Sango, and a little Sesshomaru and Kagura (I don't put him with Rin cause I see her as his surrogate daughter—a person who teaches him how to care for humans), and probably Inuyasha and Kagome (but only after a lot of trials and I might be evil and not have them get together in the end).

**Jade'sAttic:** Thanks for your review. I'm glad you read the story even though its summary is generic. I didn't want to give too much away in the summary, but I guess I should make it more interesting if it's scaring readers away :).

**Whimsy:** I know what you mean about some of the other stories, but then again that's how some people see romance. Not me, but it may be because I'm slightly older.


	5. Truth

Sorry for the long delay—the holidays came, I went home, visited relatives in three different states, played with the niece and nephews, then came back to school, signed up for classes, and started my thesis. **sigh** The stress level is just getting to me, especially with a month to go on my thesis. I know that my excuses aren't that great, but it's just been a rough couple of months. Please excuse me.

**Please, please don't sue me. Pretty please, with sugar on top? I own nothing, just the plotline and any random character that appears.**

Correcting Mistakes 

**Chapter 5: Truth**

By: Remora29

* * *

The travelers got an early start the next morning. They had much ground to cover and Kagome was anxious to get to the Western Lands. She hoped that InuYasha had found it in his heart to forgive her, but something told her that was not the case. She trudged along behind her companions, lost in her own thoughts.

'_I can't do this—I can't face him again. I would rather he hate me than look at me with disgust. I just wish that I could go back and do everything again'_

'**_But you have to face him,'_** another part of her conscious argued. **_'You owe him this. It's the least you can do'_**

'_I know, but I don't want to do it.'_

'_**Get a hold of yourself, Kagome. You have to do better than this if you ever hope to have his love again'**_

'_What's the point anyway? You saw how he looked at me last time—he's never going to want to be with me again'_

'_**You don't know that. You heard what everyone said. This is our chance, and we have to take it. Suck it up, Kagome, and swallow your pride. You know you can be just as stubborn as he is, and now is not the time!'**_

'_But—'_

'_**No buts. If you want him back, you're going to have to do whatever he asks. If you can't do that, then you obviously weren't right for him anyway'**_

As Kagome's internal war continued, her companions looked on in worry. She was mumbling under her breath as if she was arguing with herself. No one questioned her about her behavior, however, because she appeared on the brink of insanity and had been rather unstable since InuYasha left. After a few careful glances, her companions quietly continued their trek.

* * *

While Sesshomaru and InuYasha had put aside their differences, they were by no means on friendly terms. It came as a shock, then, when InuYasha appeared at Sesshomaru's castle mere weeks after the final battle, looking as if his whole world ended. Sesshomaru was not one to pry into his brother's affairs, so when InuYasha asked if his offer of staying at the castle was still open, Sesshomaru merely told him it was. That was two months ago, and his brother was still there. As he gazed out a window overlooking the garden where the half-demon was currently resting, he couldn't help wondering what had driven him to such despair.

"Worried about your brother?" Kagura asked as she came into the room. She noticed Sesshomaru staring at InuYasha's despondent form, and she couldn't help understanding his situation. Watching Kanna bind to Naraku's will while she struggled to free herself and her sister was almost unbearable. She knew the pain of seeing a sibling—even one that Sesshomaru professed to hate—suffer, and she knew the cause.

"Half-brother," Sesshomaru half-heartedly replied, not tearing his eyes from the scene before him.

"Well, if you're so worried, why don't you ask him what's wrong?" Kagura replied, knowing that Sesshomaru was bothered by InuYasha's lackluster behavior, but too proud to ask him what is wrong.

"It is not my business what bothers him," Sesshomaru stated firmly, finally tearing his eyes from his brother.

"Then I guess you won't mind if I don't tell you," Kagura said smugly as she turned and walked toward the door. She loved these verbal games her and Sesshomaru played. She knew he wanted to know, and he knew she had the answer. He just had to pretend that he was uninterested and she had to feign indifference.

Faster than she thought, Sesshomaru was in front of her, blocking her exit.

"You will tell me," he stated in an authoritative manner that only a Lord can, not leaving room for discussion

"What do I get out of it?" Kagura asked, never one to follow the rules.

"This," Sesshomaru said, then his mouth descended upon hers. Kagura was swept up in a torrent of emotions that she had never thought possible. She forgot everything around her as she was enveloped in a wave of passion both loving and lustful. Sesshomaru continued his assault upon her mouth, and she could only whimper at the sensation. Then, just as quickly as he started the kiss, he pulled away. Kagura moaned and tried to kiss him again, but was rebuffed.

"Now Kagura, I'm sure we can come to a deal," Sesshomaru replied. "You tell me what is wrong with InuYasha and we'll pick up where we left off. Or not. It's up to you."

It didn't take Kagura long to make her choice. She cherished these moments with Sesshomaru where he let down his guard and brought out feelings in her that she never knew existed. They had yet to make their relationship public, as they were not mated, so the stolen moments they spent together when neither had other demands on their time were that much sweeter.

"It's the priestess, Kagome. She almost killed him. During a battle with the wolf-prince Koga she subdued your brother, allowing Koga to gain the upper hand and crush him. It took many days for him to recover physically, but as you can see, the emotional scars remain. Since they have already initiated the mating ritual, he cannot cast her aside without allowing her a chance at redemption, but he didn't want to be around her while he decided her fate," Kagura told him, recounting what she had heard from Myoga.

Her intended did not reply with his usual apathy, as Kagura had thought. Instead, he turned once again to the window and carefully observed his younger brother. He noticed that InuYasha's eyes, which were normally a vibrant gold, were muted. His ears were laid back and his position was one of defeat. Never had he seen the cocky young half-demon so dejected. Taking all of this new information into account, he could understand his brother's situation. Demon mating was much more complex than a normal human ceremony, and once the ritual is started, it is almost impossible to break. First, the intended mates share blood. A ritualistic knife is used to carve the symbols for wife and husband in the palms, and then the couple presses their hands together allowing their blood to mingle. This process initiates the mating ceremony and insures that both persons will have the same life span. After sharing blood, the couple then sends up various prayers and offerings asking the gods blessings on them and their offspring. These prayers can only be completed after bathing in a purified hot spring (like the one located on the grounds of the Western Land's castle) and require the participant to fast for two days in advance. Finally, once those two parts are done, the couple actually mates, during which their souls rise up and become one.

The mating process is long and complex because it is not meant to be taken lightly. The commitment to become mates is difficult because the intended pair have to be serious about it. If at any time during the mating one person wants to back out of it, the offended partner can offer a Challenge to the other that they must accept. The task can be anything—as simple as retrieving an object or as complex as fulfilling a quest. If the person given the task fails, then they are deemed unworthy of the mating and must never contact their intended again. If they pass, then the offended person must forgive them and continue with the mating process. When Kagome used the rosary against InuYasha, she made it seem as if she wanted to break their engagement. For this, InuYasha is entitled to offer her a Challenge and no doubt will do so.

Sesshomaru contemplated all that Kagura told him and that he saw from looking at his brother. He knew that InuYasha would offer her a Challenge, and knowing him it would be difficult. He would want her to fail so that he wouldn't have to forgive her. InuYasha didn't take betrayal well, and had never been forced to forgive someone for deceiving him. This Challenge would be as difficult for Kagome as it would be for InuYasha and Sesshomaru wasn't looking forward to it. He had finally settled a decades long feud with his brother, and while they weren't friends and didn't have a close relationship, they could at least tolerate one another. He was in the process of his own mating and wanted to spend more time with his intended. Now that his brother had to issue a Challenge, he would have to preside over it and ensure that it was conducted fairly. He would also have to deal with more humans in his castle and all the problems they bring.

So, with all of this on his mind, Sesshomaru did the one thing he rarely does: he lost his composure.

"Damn it!" he whispered, barely loud enough for Kagura's ears to pick up.

"I don't want to deal with this mess right now, butI will have to do so. Tell Jaken to prepare the castle for our guests. If I know my brother, they will be arriving shortly," Sesshomaru told her before he swiftly left the room. He needed time to prepare for the mess that was to come.

* * *

A week passed with no change in InuYasha. At the end of the seventh day, however, he suddenly got up from his place in the gardens and retired to his rooms. He stayed there all night with orders that no one bother him in the morning. Around noon the next day, a familiar scent faintly hit his nose. Kagome and their friends were a couple of hours away from the castle. He looked at himself in a mirror when he realized that they were close. His eyes had deep, dark circles under them, his hair was a mess, and his clothing was disheveled. His appearance was not one that he wished his friends to see because he wanted no one to know the true depths of his grief; therefore, he bathed and dressed in clothes more befitting his stature as second son of the Lord of the Western Lands. He brushed his hair until it shone. InuYasha realized that he couldn't do much for the dark circles under his eyes, but his appearance was greatly improved. When the time came for him to see Kagome again, he would be ready.

* * *

Kagome was apprehensive about seeing InuYasha again. The memory of their last meeting was too fresh in her mind, the pain she caused him and herself too deep. She didn't want to acknowledge her part in this fiasco, and she was somewhat afraid of seeing him again. Myoga had explained the Challenge to her, so she knew a little of what to expect, but she didn't know what InuYasha would do when he saw her again. Once more she wished she could take back her actions and forget the whole incident happened, but she couldn't change the past, only the future. With that thought in her mind, she approached the outer doors of the castle. Before she could compose herself, the doors swung open to reveal InuYasha.

He looked so regal. Instead of the red fire rat robe he normally wore, he was dressed in a white silk kimono and pants that looked similar to Sesshomaru's. Gold and red designs were embroidered on the fabric and his family crest was prominent on his shoulders. His hair had been brushed until it shone like spun gold and he carried himself with more authority than he usually did. When he saw her, however, her heart dropped. He did not acknowledge her presence with a nod as he did the other companions and his eyes were cold and impassive. She had really messed up. After studying them for a moment, he spoke.

"Welcome to the Castle of the Western Lands." He then turned and walked away from them. They stood in the entryway to the castle with a feeling of foreboding. Whatever he had planned for Kagome, it was not going to be easy.

* * *

Ok, whew. That took way more out of me than I thought. I kept writing and re-writing this chapter because I didn't know which direction seemed best, but it seems angst has won.

**Review Responses:**

**xbackxoffxspikesxmine:** thanks for your support. No, it won't be Koga/Kagome or Kagome/Sesshomaru because I don't like those pairings. As for how they end up, it's up in the air. They might be together and complete the mating, or InuYasha might ask for time for them to be friends before they complete the mating. My muse is being finicky.

**kelly:** I'm glad you enjoy my work.

**Scherezade7:** I'm glad you like my take on the rosary. I agree that she uses it at inappropriate times because she can. I also don't like it when stories use it for comic relief because that's not what it's for. I made InuYasha intelligent because I think he is. In my opinion, anyone who can be orphaned at a young age, shunned by his only living relative, and hated by demons and humans alike must be intelligent. If he were stupid, he would die. He's just brash and cocky to hide his insecurities. I also think the reason why many perceive him as stupid is because he has a hard time relating to others. He basically raised himself in isolation, so he doesn't deal well with others. Rant away, as you have touched upon some of my favorite topics.

**Priestess kurumi inu's sister:** Thanks for reading—I'm glad you like it. I like Sango and Miroku, but they tend to agree with Kagome on everything, even when she is wrong (and by wrong, I mean using the rosary instead of a different approach) because she's a better communicator. Even though they know that she likes InuYasha, he has no idea and they act like his feelings on the Kikyo situation don't matter. I think if I woke up after 50 years of thinking that my love betrayed me only to find out I wasn't, I might have residual feelings for the person and it might take me a long time to deal with it.

**dragonlance:** No, I haven't forgotten CM. In fact, here's a new chapter just for you. :)


	6. Challenge

Thought I would lighten the mood up a bit because it's been angsty. Don't worry, the next chapter will pick up the angst.

Disclaimer: I'm poor, what can I say? I can say that I own the plot, and I will fiercely defend it against plagiarizers. Hey, it took me a long time to come up with this stuff...

**Correcting Mistakes**

**Chapter 6: Challenge**

**By: Remora29

* * *

**

Some days, Sesshomaru regretted the fact that he didn't kill InuYasha when he had the chance. Today was one of those days.

First, he had to deal with more humans in his castle. Rin, he didn't mind because she knows how to take care of herself and is always respectful. The humans in InuYasha's pack should take lessons from her. They're loud, nosy and just plain obnoxious. InuYasha's wench—for that is what Sesshomaru decided to call her after hearing her whine for the umpteenth time—feels that she is being treated unfairly and the castle is pervaded with the stench of her despair. Then there's the monk and the demon slayer. If Sesshomaru had to listen to Miroku's lame ass excuse about his hand being cursed one more time, he was going to put both of them out of their misery by slicing off the accursed limb. Hey, if he can get around and kick ass with one arm, so can the monk. The demon slayer, Sango, irked him because for all her bitching about the monk's lechery, he had the sneaking suspicion that she enjoyed it. If she liked it, then why was she complaining? Hell, there were some things that Sesshomaru would never understand about humans and Miroku and Sango's attitudes were one of them.

_Sigh...his headache was only getting worse..._

Next, he had to deal with that stupid Challenge. Stupid intended mate of his stupid ass brother can't decide whom she really wants so she goes and fucks up the mating process and leaves others to pick up the pieces. Damn, it wasn't like he didn't have other pressing matters to attend. Some lesser demons were trying to encroach on his territory and his own courting situation with Kagura was sorely lacking. Sure, they had kissed a few times, but she had been in the castle for six months and Sesshomaru had yet to touch her intimately. She kept saying she wasn't ready. Well damn, if he waited for her to be ready, he would be an old-ass man before he got any play. But could Sesshomaru focus on his problems? No, he had to arbitrate this damn Challenge and use his demon energy to set up the scenarios that his brother's wench would encounter.

_Sigh...the more he thought, the more he wanted to maim his brother_...

Finally, InuYasha himself was getting on his nerves. Yes, he knew that he had been betrayed. Twice, even, by essentially the same person (share a soul—share characteristics, no matter what the wench said to the contrary). Yes, InuYasha was having a hard time dealing with it, especially since his body had to remake itself (and Sesshomaru was glad he didn't have to deal with that shit, because frankly, it was just too painful), but damn, stop moping. Go kill something, take over some territory, terrorize some insolent demons, but don't sit in the garden and waste your life away! Sesshomaru partially blamed himself for his brother's situation—if he had taken him in as a child and raised him as a demon, he wouldn't be so prone to these debilitating emotions.

Today was just one of those days, and Sesshomaru really, really wished he had gotten rid of his nuisance of a brother years ago. Oh well, no use trying to change the past. He would not allow anyone to see his irritation, frustration or anger. He would present himself the way he always does—cold, aloof, and superior. The way a true Demon Lord should be. Now, to deal with the problems...

* * *

Breakfast that morning was a tense affair. Sesshomaru appeared to be the only unfazed by the recent events. Kagome was worried about what InuYasha had in store for her. Sango felt Kagome's apprehension, which caused her to worry. Shippou just wanted everyone to get along like before the Incident. Miroku was trying to decide when would be a good time to try and get into Sango's kimono. InuYasha looked like he wanted to kill them all, and Kirara just wanted some extra fish. Needless to say, no one was talking. Rin and Kagura decided to have breakfast outside since the weather was so nice and they didn't want to deal with the tension. After breakfast, Jaken escorted everyone to Sesshomaru's sitting room where Kagome would learn her fate.

"You know why you are here, correct?" Sesshomaru asked. Kagome, Sango and Miroku all nodded.

"Then, you know that you, Higurashi Kagome, are to undertake a Challenge of your intended's choosing. This Challenge will consist of nine different tasks, all of which must be completed to InuYasha's satisfaction before you are enabled to proceed with the mating ritual. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Lord Sesshomaru," Kagome replied. She really didn't understand everything that Myouga had told her in the days prior to their journey, but she knew enough that she thought she could successfully complete the tasks.

"Come here, Kagome," InuYasha told her. He didn't want to deal with her, but demon law demanded that he participate. He wished she would just hurry up and fail so this shit would be over and he could move on with his life.

Kagome looked apprehensively at InuYasha. He hadn't said two words to her since her arrival yesterday, and he looked like he would rather gnaw off his hand than touch her. She knew he was mad, but she was beginning to see it was so much more than that. He was devastated, and it was her fault. So, with much trepidation, Kagome approached InuYasha to see what he wanted.

"Kneel," he told her, preferring to talk as little as possible. Once she had kneeled in front of him, he placed a silver choker with a teardrop amethyst around her neck. He tried his hardest not to touch her skin, but when he was fastening the clasp, his fingertips brushed against her neck. InuYasha jerked his hand back as if he had been burned while Kagome frowned at his reaction. Once he was done, she rose and went back to sit with their friends.

"Kagome, I have placed upon you a necklace woven with demon magic, much like my former rosary," InuYasha told her, hesitating before mentioning his previous leash. "It will enable us to communicate with you when you are undergoing your trials and to use any magic necessary to set up those tasks. It also has the added bonus of functioning as a rosary," he finished with a smirk upon his face.

"Beg, Kagome!" he shouts, and Kagome does just that. Her body is violently thrown to the floor into a position of supplication. She falls heavily on her knees with her head banging into the tile. InuYasha looks satisfied with this discovery; Sango and Miroku look horrified.

"As you can see Kagome, the necklace subdues you when my brother says the word. It also will protect you if you encounter a situation that is too difficult to handle, like having a part of my brother with you at all times. It is unorthodox, but a necessary precaution seeing that you are human," Sesshomaru said, cutting through the murmurs.

Kagome thought over all that she had seen, felt and heard and decided that being bonded to InuYasha in this manner was not the worst thing that could happen. After all, if the choker could protect her with InuYasha's powers, it was like having a piece of him with her at all time, and that was a comforting thought. It meant that some small part of him still cared for her safety and that alone was enough to give her hope of reconciliation.

"Kagome, listen carefully. You are about to receive the restrictions under which you must complete these trials," Sesshomaru interrupted, not in a hostile fashion. Sure, she was human and devastated his brother, but if he help her finish these challenges and not fail, he could solve many of his problems at one time.

"Sango and Miroku, these restrictions involve you as well so you should pay attention," InuYasha stated, after Sesshomaru finished talking.

"Kagome, you have three days to complete any trial given to you unless otherwise stated at the beginning of your task. Since you are human, Sango and Miroku are allowed to accompany you, but they cannot interfere with your work. You must finish all trials yourself; they are only permitted to aid you in the event of an emergency and for your protection," InuYasha said, stopping himself to gauge their reactions.

"Shippou and Kirara are to remain at the castle with me. They cannot aid you in any way," InuYasha stated as Kagome moved to interrupt. "If you were a demon, you would not receive any help whatsoever. Be thankful for the help you are allowed and do not ask for more. As the choker is infused with my demonic energy, I will be able to communicate with you if you have any questions, but I am not obligated to answer them. Any questions so far," InuYasha inquired.

The room was silent as its occupants thought over all that they had been told. Sesshomaru and InuYasha had laid out the rules plainly, so they didn't really have any questions that pertained to them. Kagome was curious as to when she would begin her first trial, but InuYasha answered that question before she could ask it.

"Since you all arrived last night, Kagome will have to face her first trial the day after tomorrow. It is about **_love_**," InuYasha told them, with bitterness in his voice. He spat out the word love so viciously that it looked as if it hurt him to say it.

'_Great going, Kagome. Make sure that the man doesn't believe in love any more. Wonderful plan.'_ she thought to herself. InuYasha's voice pulled Kagome out of her musings.

"I know that Hojo and your friends don't know of the seriousness of our relationship," InuYasha accused her. "I was in the future more than you thought and I know that boy thinks he still has a chance. I'm not as dumb as you think, Kagome," he replied to her astonished face.

"Love is unconditional, yet you wanted to set conditions. You loved me despite being a half-demon, yet scorned me because of my manners. Whenever I went to your time, I had to hide my ears so that people would not know what I am. You never had to hide here. You were embarrassed about how I acted so much that you always threatened me whenever I was around your friends. Because of these actions, I want you to go through the well and tell your friends the truth about us. That we are engaged to be married, even though you haven't finished the trial and that I'm not some rude, arrogant jerk that you picked up off the street and tamed. You will have to accomplish this task while acting the way that I normally act," InuYasha told her, smirking again at the look of horror on her face.

"I can't!" Kagome cried out, " my friends will think something is wrong with me. They'll shun me because I'm getting married too young or worse they'll try to talk me out of it and set me up with Hojo."

"Well, if you can't do it, then this engagement is finished because you will fail the Challenge. Think carefully, and let me know which is more important to you. Your friends' thoughts about _your_ life or your intended mate," InuYasha said coldly. Even after treating him the way she did, she still was embarassed of him. It meant that she had learned nothing during their separation. She was still more concerned with dealings with others' feelings than his. If she couldn't deal with her friends' rejection when they didn't know of his heritage, how would she cope in his time where she would be shunned, taunted and cursed for her marriage to him? How would she deal with their children? Would she hide him and them away for acceptance? These thoughts bothered him. He didn't want to show how much it still hurt, so after a few tense moments, he excused himself from the room and retired to his chambers.

"Higurashi Kagome," Sesshomaru called, "you are here because you severed the mating ritual due to your misbegotten actions. Do not make the same mistake twice."

He turned to leave the room, but stopped at the door.

"One other thing—tell no one outside of this castle about the Challenge or you will forfeit," he told her, then continued his walk out of the door.

* * *

AN: Another chapter done. Sorry this is late--I wanted to put it up yesterday but for some reason I couldn't log in.

Review Responses:

Priestess kurumi inu's sister: Yeah, I feel the same way about the whole "betraying Kagome by seeing Kikyo" issue. They aren't together--she wants them to be together and he wants to be together as well, but there are unresolved issues. InuYasha made a promise to Kikyo and he has to keep it--it's a matter of honor. And for someone who has nothing but the clothes on his back and his sword, honor is very important. Don't worry though--I'm going to address this issue in the next chapter. It's going to get ugly...

Dragonlance: Sorry about the cliffie. I thought about putting in the stuff in this chapter in the last one, but it would have taken too long and since it had been months since I updated, I wanted to get the chapter out ASAP. I'm actually in graduate school getting my Master's in Public health. I'm finishing my Master's thesis as we speak.

Kiyana Va Sala: Yay! I'm glad you like my story. No, I didn't forget it, but all my writing time has been occupied by my thesis. Now that it's coming to an end, I'll have more time to write. I don't think InuYasha's a bastard--I just think he had to spend more time fighting to survive than contemplating others' feelings. 


	7. Death

Disclaimer: Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned, and I don't want Rumiko Takahashi coming down on me, so I don't own jack about the characters and settings. The plot came from the dark, dank recesses of my mind.

**Correcting Mistakes**

**Chapter 7: Death**

By: Remora29

* * *

Kagome felt empty. It seemed that her whole world was turned upside-down. Nothing was right any more. InuYasha hated her—of that she was certain. The way he refused to look at her unless absolutely necessary, how he pulled back his hand when it brushed across her skin as if it burned him. She had really screwed up. She recognized this fact, and was trying to make amends, but thought he was asking too much.

'_Is this mourning?'_ she wondered at times. The loneliness, the aching. The desire to be with the person that you love so much that it hurts when you realize that you can no longer see him. InuYasha isn't dead physically, but to her mind, he might as well be. He didn't want to be around her, and would avoid her if at all possible. She wasn't looking forward to their next confrontation.

* * *

InuYasha was thinking along similar lines. After their meeting this morning, he fled to the safety and comfort of his chambers. He picked his room because it used to be his mother's bedroom and he could still feel her presence in the place. How he missed his mother. She was the only person who truly accepted him for himself. Everyone else had conditions. It never mattered to her that he was awkward around others, or that he preferred rolling in the mud to sitting quietly—he was her son and that was all that mattered to her.

He thought he had found that same understanding in Kagome, but he was wrong. He blamed her for his accident and the fact that he spent six weeks in darkness, but if he thought about it, it wasn't completely her fault. She was from a different time and place, where appearances are more important than anything else. He had believed her words, but he should have known by her actions that she would betray him. It hurt to think that he was so desperate for companionship or just acceptance that he allowed himself to be used.

InuYasha tired of this line of thought, and lie down in bed. He knew he would have to deal with Kagome soon, but for now he wanted to fall into the bliss of sleep so that he didn't have to worry about anything.

* * *

That evening, Kagome took a stroll through the gardens. They were so peaceful—she felt as if all her problems were unimportant. For some reason, she felt drawn to a small koi pond surrounded by cherry trees. The pale moonlight that entered the secluded space made the area seem magical. It was the perfect place for her to sit and take her mind off things. Unfortunately for Kagome, InuYasha had the same idea.

He had awakened from his nap to find himself suffocating in the castle. Kagome's smell permeated his senses, and nightmares of what could have been haunted his dreams. He needed solace, and he couldn't find that cooped up in his room like a prisoner. He went to the one place he knew he would be alone—the pond in the garden.

Kagome heard a sound, and gasped as she looked up. It was InuYasha, and he was just as surprised as she was.

* * *

"What are you doing here? You should leave," he grated out. He didn't need to deal with her mess right now; she was the reason he was tormented in the first place.

"I came here to think, same as you! I'm not leaving—I got here first," she spat out. Kagome knew InuYasha had a right to be mad, but she got to the pond first. If he couldn't deal with her being there, then he needed to leave.

"Feh, _I_ don't have to go anywhere. You forget yourself bitch, you're on _my _property," he stated smugly. She wanted to be a bitch, then let her. He wasn't going to back down and she didn't have the rosary to subdue him any more.

"Oh yeah, I forgot. _Your_ property that you had to suck up to Sesshomaru for him to allow you to stay here," she replied. Fight fire with fire, of course.

"Well at least Sesshomaru has always been honest about his feelings toward me, unlike some other people. He never pretended to like me only to stab me in the back like a certain betraying bitch!" InuYasha shouted. He was angry with her, and even though he caught the scent of her tears, he couldn't find it in himself to stop. He had to let her know once and for all, what she had really done to him.

For her part, Kagome looked sick. She couldn't believe he would pick Sesshomaru over her. The brothers didn't even have a functional relationship, yet here he was telling her that Sesshomaru is a better person than she is. The nerve of him. He could just cast aside her love after a simple error.

"So, you'll forgive Sesshomaru for almost killing you numerous times, but you can't forgive me for one simple mistake? Well, I'm glad I found out now how fickle your love is," she replied to his accusations.

"Fickle? I'm fickle? I'm not the one who decided that her fiancé needed to be taught a lesson that almost killed him so don't you dare call me fickle, you stuck up bitch!" he screamed at her.

"I'm not stuck up, you arrogant dog. You're the one always talking about weak humans this, weak humans that, so you can't talk!" She screamed in reply.

"Well, I was right, wasn't I? You are weak. Where would you be if I didn't save your ass all the time? Dead, that's where," he told her, mad that she wanted to play the victim.

"Oh, I forgot you're such a great protector. Need I remind you all the times I saved you? And if you're so good at protecting people, why is Kikyo dead again? I thought you were supposed to protect her both times," she ranted, not fully realizing the implications of her words.

The forest suddenly got silent. The nighttime sounds completely died out, leaving an eerie silence over the area. It seemed that the animals had enough sense to run away from the impending explosion.

"I saved you at the expense of her and you're still jealous? You're a real piece of work, Kagome. You think you're so much better than everybody else when all you are is an insecure, spoiled little girl pretending to be a woman," he told her. If she wanted to play dirty, he would too.

"I am not insecure and I am not a little girl!" she raged at him, angry that he had hit upon some of her well-hidden weaknesses.

"Oh really, Kagome? What about the fact you and the others treated me like shit for years, telling me how I was two-timing you with Kikyo when you would run to your world and go out with Hojo behind my back? Only little girls and boys hide from their responsibilities, and that's what you were doing. At least I was honest with you, and let you know that Kikyo was important to me and needed my protection. You couldn't even do the same for me," he told her, his calm facade once again in place.

"I only went on a few dates with Hojo, and only because I didn't want to hurt his feelings," Kagome told him, again feeling the need to defend herself.

"Sure, Kagome—whatever makes you feel better about yourself. But I can't be two-timing you if we aren't even together in the first place, now can I?" he leered at her, fully intent on taking her down a peg or two tonight.

"I never said you were; everyone else said that. I felt that you had a right to be with whomever you chose, and I would stand by you no matter what. And I did that—I stayed here even though I thought your heart belonged to her so you have no right to call me a two-timer!" Kagome sighed after her statement. This argument was rapidly descending into a contest to see who could hurt the other the most, and it looked like they were both battered.

"You might not have called me a two-timer, but you never corrected the others either. You liked the attention you got from them because it made you feel like you were better than me. You could stay by my side and put up with my cheating and be a better person for it. The only problem is that I couldn't cheat on you because **WE WEREN'T TOGETHER**!" he screamed at the top of his lungs, causing the silent animals to flee the area.

"I still didn't two-time you with Hojo, and I had to deal with more mess from you than you had to deal with from me," she told him, sick and tired of fighting. Unluckily, InuYasha was not to be denied this argument.

"Fine, you didn't cheat with Hojo but you sure as hell did with Kouga. Every time that mangy wolf came around you let him hold your hands, kiss your cheek and do whatever he damn well pleased. If I tried to stop him, you would "sit" me until I thought my back was going to break. 'Oh Kouga,' you would say in your prissy girl voice, 'You didn't have to do that. Hehehehehe.' Like a whore parading herself for a customer," he accused.

"How dare you! How dare you call me a whore you two-timing bastard! I never cared about Kouga the way I care about you—I was only being friendly and for you to say anything else is despicable," she yelled at him, her anger once again taking over her rational mind.

"Then why? Why did you sit me and let him almost kill me? Why did you offer me everything only to snatch it away?" he asked, suddenly very tired.

"I...I don't know. I didn't think—" she stuttered, trying to find an excuse for her behavior.

"You're right, you didn't think, and your "sit" damn near killed me. You know Kagome, you're lucky. If we hadn't already initiated the mating process, I would have left your ass without turning back. As it stands now, I have to give you a second chance. I just want you to know that I hope you fail. After seeing the real you, I don't think I could live with being tied to your ass for eternity," he said, turning on his heel to walk away.

Kagome was in shock. He couldn't mean that, could he? He didn't regret their relationship, did he? Did he hate her now? Would he ever love her again? Was it even worth it to undergo the trial with him hoping for her failure? She couldn't image her life without him, but she didn't want to force him to be with her. If he truly wanted her out of his life, then she would leave him forever.

"Do you want me to decline the Challenge?" she asked in such a small voice that he barely heard her.

InuYasha sighed. He could feel her sadness and smell the salt of her tears. Inside of him, a war was waging. A large part of him wanted to run and scoop her up in his arms, telling her that everything would be fine. A smaller part of him, however, still held on to the anger. This girl caused him so much pain. Even though he was comatose for most of his healing, he still felt every bone reattach and every muscle repair. There was no expression for the amount of agony he underwent, and he couldn't just let her get away with it. This time, she had gone too far.

"Do what you will, Kagome. You've never respected my wishes anyway," he said, as he stalked off, trampling any and everything in his path. He needed to get away from her before he went insane, but he was starting to think that he would never be free of her. He came to the pond looking for solitude and found her. Her smell lingers in his room and in the castle hallways. He can't leave because he is bound to her while she undergoes her trials. She had him completely at her mercy, and he wanted his freedom. Thinking that a run might clear his head, he took off to the East, hoping to find solace.

As Kagome watched him flee from her presence, she glimpsed a part of his hurt. The pain she had inflicted upon him was too great for him just to get over it, like she had hoped. She needed to prove her love to him while giving him time to heal. Kagome also came to another, important realization: their relationship, with all its ups and downs, was dead. If she didn't choose the right path, they would never find their way back to each other again.

* * *

AN: All right, to make up for my lack of updates the past few months, here is another chapter. MY THESIS IS DONE! Woo hoo. Now, on to graduation, and then we can get into a more regular updating pattern. Please don't kill me. I had to do this so that the story would evolve properly. Now on to the reviews...

**Frozen Miko:** Thanks, I'm glad you like my point of view on their relationship. I'm not saying I wouldn't have "sat" InuYasha at all because when you are frustrated, you are bound to do something like that, but not as often. And yes, InuYasha is outwardly more mature because he doesn't want Kagome to see how vulnerable she made him. More on that in later chapters...

**Priestess kurumi inu's sister: **Is this ugly enough for you? Yes, I agree Kagome needs to be taught a lesson, but she's not the only one. Others will learn from her journey.

**Dragonlance:** Glad you liked the chapter. I hope you don't hate Kagome too much. I just think she's naive to the world in which she will be living. Sango and Miroku are not much older than her, but they understand the Feudal Era better. It's more like she didn't take the time to learn anything about her surroundings.

**Kiyana Va Sala:**  



	8. Torn

**Correcting Mistakes**

**Chapter 8: Torn**

**By: Remora29

* * *

**Miroku was a monk first and foremost. He might have been a pervert and a lecher, but he was also a man of Buddha. Right now, his faith was not only needed, but it was also being tested. When Kagome returned in tears and Sango's words of comfort were not enough, he had to rely on his teachings to guide her through her pain. He told her that even though she was hurting, Buddha and the Fates had a plan for her life. What that plan was, he could not say, but her suffering was not in vain. Kagome's greatest joys could only come after times such as her present predicament and that this hardship would only make her love stronger. Or so he hoped. He didn't really know what to think any more. InuYasha had been through more than his share of hardship and heartache in life, so Miroku could see no valid reason for his continued torment. He kept these thoughts to himself, as it would do no good to voice them aloud. 

He was exhausted, both mentally and physically. After counseling Kagome, he had to rely on brute force to prevent Sango from hunting InuYasha and bashing his head in with Hiraikotsu. Miroku had to remind her that this time, he and Sango were merely spectators. The only reason they were more inclined to help Kagome is because her pain is visible. InuYasha is also in pain, but his nature would not allow him to show it as Kagome does. They couldn't take sides this time. They had to be there for both of their friends. Kagome and InuYasha both needed them, and it was their duty as family to attend to their needs. Sango grudgingly saw his logic and Miroku was thankful for it. It was hard enough with two family members fighting. He didn't think he could deal with a third person added to the drama.

Family—such an odd term for their ragtag group, but an appropriate one. They were a band of orphans that came together to defeat some of the greatest evil Japan and the world had ever known. The group had been through hardship before, but their courage and love had saved them. This time, however, Miroku was unsure of their resilience as the two leaders bitterly fought each other. Miroku didn't mention his doubts to Shippo, when the young kit came to him needing comfort and reassurance. The internal strife between Kagome and InuYasha had adversely affected Shippo, and he was petrified that their family was going to fall apart. Kagome was so wrapped up in her own problems that she never paid any attention to Shippo. InuYasha was in such a volatile mood that Shippo decided it was in his best interest to stay away from him. The other adults were either caught up in the mess or completely ignored him. That left the young demon alone in his small room, isolated from the rest of the castle's occupants. Miroku noticed the kit's new disposition and tried to soothe the boy's fears. Whether he was successful or not, Miroku didn't know, but Shippo did look happier when he went to bed that night.

After a tiring evening of dealing with the others' emotions, Miroku wanted nothing more than to retire to his bed and sleep the night away, but he couldn't. There was one person that he had yet to confront about the on-going problems and he wasn't looking forward to it. InuYasha was not one to talk much, but Miroku was hoping tonight would be different. With Kagome's current state, Miroku could only imagine how InuYasha was feeling. And if he knew the half-demon as well as he thought, he wouldn't return until the morning. As Miroku walked down the corridor to InuYasha's room, he started clearing his thoughts. It would do him no good to approach his brother while contaminated with outside emotions. Settling himself against the door, Miroku sighed. He had another night of meditation and no sleep ahead of him.

* * *

It was dawn before InuYasha returned to the castle. He needed to calm down and exorcise some demons. All night, the one thought that kept playing in his head is that he still loved her. Even after all the pain, he couldn't get over her. He still wanted –no needed –her, and for that, InuYasha couldn't believe himself. He wanted to hate her, the way he hated Kikyo when he was first released from the Goshinboku, but he couldn't. They had spent too much time together and endured too many life-or-death situations for him to hate her. The real question was, however, could he trust her? 

No, he couldn't, and he didn't know if he ever would again. It hurt too much to recuperate from her betrayal, and he was too afraid to make himself vulnerable again.

* * *

Rounding the corner to his room, he saw Miroku sitting in his doorway. He wanted to walk right past him, but he knew the monk wasn't going to give up. 

"What do you want, Miroku?" he asked resignedly, because he knew the monk would tell him what was on his mind regardless of InuYasha's wishes.

Miroku looked at InuYasha—really looked at him for the first time in a while—and was startled by what he saw. On the surface, InuYasha appeared to look normal, but upon closer inspection Miroku saw the bags underneath his eyes and the lines haunting his face. He was in agony, Miroku finally realized, and all of us have ignored it because he didn't speak of it.

"Actually InuYasha, I was wondering how you are doing. This incident has all of us upset and I wanted to offer my services as a monk," Miroku told him.

"Keh, I'm not one of your girls, you lech," InuYasha replied, hoping to deter him from his line of questioning. It didn't work.

"Cut the crap, InuYasha. I know you're just as affected if not more so than Kagome. I can tell you aren't sleeping or eating well. Now I'm asking you as a friend –a brother –to tell me what's going on," he stated. Miroku didn't want to raise his voice but sometimes force was necessary when dealing with InuYasha.

InuYasha was shocked. Miroku rarely got mad, so when he did, the others took notice. InuYasha just looked at him because he didn't want to reveal his weakness, not even to Miroku. Finally, after several tense minutes, he spoke.

"Nightmares. Haven't had 'em since I was a kid. Thought I was too old for them, too tough for 'em. Guess I ain't tough enough."

Miroku was surprised that InuYasha actually told him about his problems. It made Miroku wonder if the situation was more dire than they had previously thought. He would've thought more about this new information if InuYasha hadn't interrupted him.

"When I was younger, my mother loved me, cared for me, and protected me as best she could. Then the villagers set fire to our home. I remember running into the woods, hoping I'd be safe there. I was for a while; until the demons figured out I was there and started hunting me for fun. That's when the nightmares began," he finished, frantically pacing the room. He was no longer speaking to Miroku about his tortured past so much as he was reliving it.

"Sometimes I was so scared that I couldn't sleep. When I did sleep, it was filled with twisted images. My mother telling me to run and save myself. Demons hunting me until I collapsed because I was so tired. Scrambling up the tallest tree I could find, hoping to be safe for the night. Villagers taunting me, beating me. Calling me names I won't bother to repeat. I'd wake up more scared than I was when I went to sleep, so eventually I learned to do without sleep. Although full-grown demons don't need as much rest as humans, demon kids need lots of sleep for growth. For me, sleep meant nightmares and vulnerability, so I learned to do without it," he continued. So locked was he in his memories that he failed to notice the look of contemplation upon Miroku's face or the thinly veiled sympathy in his eyes.

"The one day, I could sleep without nightmares. The next day I met Kikyo. I thought everything would be better, and I could live contently, if not happily. But I forgot one thing: half-breeds don't deserve happiness. For fifty years I had nothing but the darkness of my nightmares for company. Fifty years of terror."

Miroku stared at him, barely comprehending his words. Fifty years of nightmares and he wasn't insane? He didn't want to believe it, but the proof was currently pacing like a madman in front of him.

"When I met you guys, things got better. I wasn't alone any more and I didn't have to worry about protecting myself by myself, I had help. Things couldn't have been better after Kagome accepted me. Her love meant the world to me. Finally I would have a place to belong and people who loved me. But I'm a freak, and freaks don't have happy endings. When I was healing, the nightmares started again; however, that wasn't all. I felt every broken bone mend, every muscle reattach. I couldn't speak, but I could feel pain," he confessed, needing to release some of us pent-up emotions.

"The nightmares were the worst. Even now they still haunt me, but they aren't scenes from my past. They're visions of what could have been. Me, Kagome and our kids—playing together, eating together, loving each other. The life I lost haunts me the most, so that even when I'm awake I mourn the loss of what could have been."

He was speechless. What could he say to end the suffering of one who endured so much? Nothing, so he didn't even try. Words were useless to him now –it was more important to let InuYasha unburden himself than to try and comfort him. His soul needed the cleansing of his confession, but the ever gruff half-demon couldn't let others worry about him.

"Keh, don't waste your time on me, monk. I'll be fine. If Kagome passes the Trials, then she passes. If she fails, she fails. I've been alone before so it won't bother me to be alone again. I know you, Sango and the run will follow Kagome wherever she goes, so you won't be sticking around if she loses," he stated matter-of-factly, as he stopped pacing and stared pointedly at the door.

Miroku silently took his cue to leave. InuYasha had given him much to think about.

* * *

The next day passed quickly, and before she knew it, Kagome was headed home to undertake her first trial. She was nervous, scared and somewhat eager to start. She was also determined to pass now that she knew InuYasha expected her to fail. She had to prove him wrong.

* * *

On the morning that they were set to leave, Sesshomaru and InuYasha saw them off. Sesshomaru was there to remind her and her companions of the rules and to offer the services of Aun. They were many days journey from the well by foot, but Aun could get them there in a few hours. InuYasha, however, was there for a different reason. 

"Kagome," he called to the girl, "here are your clothes. Since you have to act like me, you need to dress like me as well," he explained. He proceeded to throw a set of priestess robes identical to Kikyo's at her.

"You have to wear these clothes the whole time you are at home, even at your school thing," he told her.

She wanted to refuse the clothes. She knew why he did it –to spite her. InuYasha knew of her insecurities concerning Kikyo and Kagome's places in his lives. He wanted to hurt her any way he could, and he had succeeded this time. But Kagome was not to be deterred, and she would not fail because she didn't want to look like his first love. So, she mustered her resolve, bit her lip, and graciously accepted the clothing.

"Thank you, InuYasha," she said, with as much ease as she could.

"Don't thank me yet, bitch. By the time these Trials are over, you'll be _begging_ me to let you stay here," he said maliciously, as she slammed into the dirt. The satisfying crunch of her head against the ground made him feel better.

On that note, the three travelers set out for the Bone Eater's Well and for Kagome's chance at redemption.

* * *

Sango and Miroku were astounded at Kagome's time. They didn't really know how they got there, but they suspected it had something to do with the amulet that InuYasha placed around Kagome's neck. They questioned everything from the toaster to the toilet to the television. They couldn't get enough of all the "wondrous miracles" her world offered, and quietly wondering why she would leave such a place to put herself in danger in Feudal Japan. 

Mrs. Higurashi was a little confused as to why her daughter was home so soon and with guests. She had thought that Kagome would be gone for quite a while as she and InuYasha prepared for their mating. Being the gracious woman that she was, however, she didn't question Kagome when she came home with Sango and Miroku. She answered any question they had, prepared their dinner, and set them up in a spare room in the shrine. Only after Sango and Miroku were in bed did she satisfy her curiosity.

"Kagome, honey, what's going on?" Mrs. Higurashi asked her daughter. She had been carefully watching Kagome all night, and she could tell that she was unhappy. She hoped it was nothing major—with all the problems Kagome had encountered in the past, she deserved some happiness now.

Kagome glanced at her mother with tears in her eyes. She wanted to run to her mother and cry on her shoulders. She wanted to tell her about how InuYasha's unfairness and the trials that she would have to endure because of a simple mistake. She wanted to do a lot of things, but she didn't. If she were to prove to InuYasha, and herself, that she was not weak and she was worthy of his love, then she would have to solve her own problems. With these thoughts in mind, Kagome looked at her mother and answered her as truthfully as she could...

"I messed up, Mama. I messed up big time."

* * *

**Disclaimer: I don't own InuYasha. I only own this emotionally charged plotline. Please don't steal Remora's plotline. She has thought a lot about it. **

**  
**AN: Please don't kill me for this. It gets a lot worse before it even pretends to get better. Also, I must apologize for my lengthy delay. I graduated from my master's program (praise God), but there were also two other important family gradutions around the same time. Then I visited my sis (who has dial up so you know how that went) and now I'm job hunting (hooray!). Hope to have another chapter up soon.

Review Responses:

**Kiyana Va Sala:** Sorry about not having anything after your name. Stupid quick edit. Ah yes, the angst. Oh, it gets so much better.  
**Priestess kurumi inu's sister: **Glad it was ugly enough for you. It's only going to get uglier.**  
Dragonlance: **Glad you agree with InuYasha about Kagome being spoiled. Oh, she's going to be doing a lot of growing up in the in the next few chapters. So will InuYasha, Sango, Miroku and Sesshomaru.

**Anonymous:** Thanks for your review. Kagome's journey will be painful both physically and mentally. Hard times are ahead.  
**Inu-Shinta:** Yes, her three friends are ditses. But to their credit, they haven't had to grow up because they live sheltered lives while she has fought for her life and the lives of her friends on a daily basis. 

**  
Frozen Miko:** Yeah, it is angsty. I try to answer everyone who reviews because if you take the time to review, I should take the time to acknowledge you. You are correct about Kagome--she is a naive, scared girl in a world that she really doesn't understand and hasn't tried to understand.  
**MeiMeiPrettyFlower:** Glad you agree with my work. It makes me feel special.

**Locainlove:** Glad you agree with my assessment on the rosary usage and everyone's reactions to it. He's not a dog or a trained pet. He's a sentient being, but sometimes it gets lost in translation. Don't worry-it's still Inu-Kag because I don't believe in other pairings, but they may or may not be together.** Drake Clawfang:** Glad you like.  



	9. Trial 1: Love

**Dedication:** To **Kiyana Va Sala** whose inspiring emails helped me get over the block and just plop out the chapter--read his stories people! To **Whimsy**, without whom I would be floundering. Your emails are always interesting, helpful, and thought-provoking.

* * *

"What do you mean 'You messed up,' Kagome?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. She was confused and her daughter wasn't making any sense. 

"InuYasha and I, well, we might not be together any more," she finally got out, after several moments of tense silence.

To say her mother was shocked was an understatement. Mrs. Higurashi was absolutely dumbfounded. She had watched Kagome and InuYasha dance around their feelings for years, so she was elated when they finally confessed and decided to get married. Although Kagome would have to forgo college – as she would be living in the Feudal Age –her mother wasn't upset. All Mrs. Higurashi wanted for her children was happiness, and InuYasha made Kagome very happy. She knew she couldn't deny them the happiness that she herself shared with her husband, and was grateful that Kagome found someone who completely loved her. Hearing that there were problems in the relationship was difficult, to say the least, but they absolutely heartbroken look on Kagome's face when she told her mother that the bonding might be off was devastating.

"Oh honey, I'm sure it'll all work out, whatever it is. So, since you said that you're the cause of the mess, mind telling me what happened?" her mother asked. Sure, she was sympathetic to Kagome's plight, but she also knew that talking about it might help put things in perspective.

Kagome didn't want to tell her mother what happened because she was ashamed. She had thought long and hard about her behavior after her confrontation with InuYasha at the pond, and she had realized that not only were her actions harmful, but also shameful. She had purposefully manipulated her intended lover just to make him jealous over someone who would never be more than a friend to her. She had hurt him—both physically and mentally—for a stupid, childish prank. It was unforgivable in her eyes, and she was thankful that she had these Trials to prove to herself and InuYasha that she was ready to become his mate for eternity.

Mrs. Higurashi intently watched her daughter's face. From the various emotions passing there—shame, regret, longing—she knew that whatever happened between the two had to have been more serious than she thought. She watched as Kagome took a deep breath and started her tale...

* * *

Kagura was no fool. She knew that she was trying Sesshomaru's patience by refusing his advances, but she would not be broken. She knew the reason behind his sudden desire to become mated: he was afraid InuYasha would produce an heir first, thus putting his claim to the Western Lands in jeopardy. Sesshomaru had inherited the lordship because he was the oldest child, but his son would only retain the title if it were born before any of InuYasha's sons. While InuYasha's mating future was currently undecided, Sesshomaru was still afraid that they would reconcile and produce a son before he could, hence his increasing advances and impatience. 

He forgot one important fact: Kagura. She had already been used as a pawn for one demon "lord" and she would be damned if she'd let another one control her. Her freedom is the single most important part of her life, and she wasn't going to give it up, not even to the man that had saved her from that monster. If he wanted her to be his, then he was going to have to act like it. She demanded respect, and he was going to give it, or else find another puppet to bear his heir.

* * *

InuYasha sat at the koi pond, staring at his reflection. _'Is this to be my fate?'_ he thought to himself, _'Always loving someone who can't love me for me? Destined to be alone, haunted by my dreams and desires for the future? A freak, a monster that doesn't fit anywhere?'_

These and other depressing thoughts swirled in his head until he fell asleep, physically and emotionally exhausted. As InuYasha slept, he dreamed about something he had long since buried.

_His mother was the most beautiful woman in the world, of that he was certain. Even though he was only six, he knew that there was no one prettier than she. The way she smiled at him when he did something cute, her long ebony hair, and her intense violet eyes. She was the picture of beauty, even when she was scolding her unruly son about getting his clothing dirty or finishing his lessons. When no one else would play with him, his mother would. Izayoi was an excellent mother, and to her six year-old son, she was the world._

_One beautiful summer day, she had forbidden her son from playing outside. The little boy didn't understand why his mother wouldn't let him out, but he didn't want to make her mad (as he had just gotten off punishment), so he stayed inside and worked on his writings. All day he had a feeling that something was wrong, but whenever he asked his mother, she downplayed his suspicions by regaling him with tales of his father. _

_InuYasha loved hearing stories about the noble demon that was his father because he had no memory of them. It also didn't hurt that his mother told the best stories. His father was so brave and strong, and the young half-demon wanted to be just like him when he grew up. In fact, one night at dinner he told his mother that he was going to grow up big and strong so he could protect her from all the bad things in the world. Seeing an opportunity, Izayoi told the boy that the only way he could be so strong was to eat his vegetables. InuYasha took one look at his plate and dove into the food with renewed gusto. _

_That fateful day, Izayoi told her precious son about how his father defeated the dragon lord Ryuukotsusei and managed to save her in the same day. She left out the part about how that caused his death, instead telling her darling boy that his father was resting in the heavens so he could better watch over them. InuYasha, however, wasn't nearly as interested in the story as he usually was because he kept feeling something was wrong._

_It was after dinner that his suspicions were proved accurate. He smelled the torches before he saw them, heard the humans' curses before they even got to the door. His mother rushed into his room, bundling him in his clothes and bustling him out the door. The raced along the corridor until they came to the study. There, behind a hidden door, they entered a secret room. In the room was a chute that lead down to the servant quarters. Izayoi gave her son one last kiss before she instructed him to slide down the chute, crawl out one of the lower windows and flee into the forest. She promised him she would find him there. He didn't want to leave her, but he could hear the yells getting louder and he was brave, so he did as his mother told him. He took one last look at her, then left. He never saw her again._

_As InuYasha ran through the forest, he could hear the yells and screams of the townspeople as they attacked his home. Then, they became eerily quiet. He stopped running, even though his mother told him to flee as fast as he could, and listened as the mob cheered. He clumsily climbed a tree and saw that his house was on fire and his mother was no where in sight. InuYasha wanted to scream for his mother because he was terrified. At six years old, he had been run out of his house before it was set on fire and his mother was not with him. He was cold, hungry, dirty and lonely, but he couldn't say a word. He knew if he opened his mouth, the villagers would find him and hurt him. The poor boy stayed in that tree all night, and the following day, waiting for his mother. Two days after the fire, he returned home._

_He sneaked into the ruined mansion, searching high and low for his mother. He finally found her body in the stairwell leading to the servant quarters. She wasn't burned, but he knew she was dead. In her arms, she clutched a miniature painting of his father. _

'_Mother!' he cried repeatedly. 'Mother, please don't leave me. Please, don't leave me. I love you mother. I'll be good, I promise, Mother. I'll do my lessons and I won't get dirty if you come back. I'll always be good, if you come back. Mother, please come back. Please. Please Mother, please come back. Don't leave me alone. Please, please, please! I'll be better, please. Please, mother, please! I'm sorry that I wasn't brave, Mother. I'm sorry. I'll be brave from now on, just wake up. I promise. I do anything Mother!'_

_But his pleas were to no avail. His mother was dead and he knew it, as he could smell death on her. He dried his tears and set about moving her body. His mother deserved to be buried—it's the least he could do since he wasn't brave enough to save her._

_The poor boy drug his mother out of the house and into the forest. He didn't stop until he reached a clearing with a small lake. There he used his hands to dig a shallow grave for his beloved mother. He reverently placed her body in the hole, kissing her cheek one last time before he covered her with dirt. Then, he looked around for something to mark her grave so that he would always remember it. Nearby he found a large acorn that had fallen and rolled quite a way from the tree line. He picked it up and buried it at the head of his mother's grave. InuYasha cried the entire time. Once he was done, however, he dried his tears, washed his face, and promised never to shed another tear._

InuYasha never noticed Kirara hiding in the shadows. She watched him fall asleep and whimper. As the whines grew in intensity, Kirara walked over to InuYasha and rubbed herself against his back and stomach. The two-tail knew that he was having a nightmare, and she wanted to stop it. The half-demon hadn't gotten a decent rest in a long time, and she was determined that he get one tonight. Still, she couldn't help feeling sorry for InuYasha. She, who had seen the priestess Midoriko give her soul to create the Shikon jewel, had never before encountered such sadness. Kirara started to purr quietly, hoping to soothe the demons that tormented InuYasha's dreams. She would watch over the lonely orphan and his friends until she was no longer able to do so because she could understand his pain.

They were very much alike, Kirara and InuYasha. More than outward appearances made it seem. While Kirara didn't have a human form, InuYasha didn't have an animal one either. They both knew the pain of watching loved ones die. She was present when Midoriko gave up her soul to save everyone—demons and humans alike. He watched his mother die a little everyday as he endured the torments of the villagers, and he heard her screams as she perished in the fire. Tragedy and hope was all either had known, but fortunately for Kirara, she had much more hope than tragedy in her long life. Now, she wanted simply to comfort one who had seen more than his fair share of tragedy. If she could keep him safe, even for just a short while, she would do so. He deserved no less than that from her, as he would give no less than that of himself.

* * *

"I'm surprised at you, Kagome. I really am. What were you thinking?" Mrs. Higurashi demanded of her daughter. She was never one to get angry needlessly, but after hearing about what her little stunt had cost her and InuYasha, she was more than a little upset. 

"I don't know, Mama. Honestly, if I could go back in time and change everything, I would. But I can't, and now I don't know if he'll ever forgive me," she broke down, sobbing to her mother.

"I'm disappointed in you, Kagome, but from what I know of InuYasha, he'll forgive you. In fact, he probably already has. He just can't trust you. Give him time, and I'm sure everything'll work out just fine," her mother told her as she pulled her into a hug. She would never deny her daughter the comfort of her arms, even if she was mad at her.

"Thanks Mama, I really needed to hear that," Kagome told her.

"Anytime, dear. Now, what are you doing at home?" Mrs. Higurashi asked. She was curious as to why her daughter was here instead of in the Warring States period trying to fix her broken relationship.

"Oh, I just needed to get away for a while, and InuYasha needs his space. Also, Sango and Miroku had never been to this time, so I thought it would be nice to take them out and show them around," she lied. She couldn't tell her mother the truth about the Trials as she was forbidden, but she hated lying to her.

"Well, I can certainly understand that, Kagome. Now it's late, why don't you get to bed and rest. Your school friends called—they want to see you. Maybe you should go out with them tomorrow to take your mind off things," her mother suggested, not knowing that it was the perfect opportunity for Kagome to complete her mission.

"Sure mom. Thanks for everything," Kagome replied, walking upstairs to her bedroom much happier than she had before.

* * *

The next morning, Kagome got up and called her friends. She had been in the Warring States Era for a long time and she wanted to catch up with them. She also wanted to get done with this first trial as soon as possible. 

"Hey Eri, how are you? How's school going? That's good. Look, I was wondering if you, Yuka and Ayumi wanted to get together later on today? You do? Great, how about we meet at the mall at 3? See you then."

Now that she had set up the meeting, she laid back on her bed and sighed. Her life was so complicated. Her friends were all off at college while she was fighting for her life and her friends' lives in the past. She was engaged to InuYasha, and had a ceremony to plan, and now this Trial. If she didn't complete it, she wouldn't be with the man she loved. He felt betrayed, she felt guilty, and they were making everyone around them miserable. To top it off, Sango and Miroku got stuck being her bodyguards since she's too weak to do it on her own.

And then there's the uniform—the priestess outfit. She hated those clothes with a passion and that's why InuYasha chose them. It was as if he were reminding her that in his eyes, she was no better than Kikyo. Damn him, and damn Kouga for being so possessive. It wasn't her fault that she didn't know anything about the Warring States Era. She was from 500 years in the future, so how was she supposed to know these things?

Even as she thought about it, she knew whose fault the whole mess was—hers. She made her bed, and she was determined to lie in it. The only question was would InuYasha be lying next to her in it...

* * *

Sango and Miroku were excited to be in the future, even under the circumstances. They were enthralled with all the new gadgets and technology. It was simply fascinating, and a nice change to be somewhere that they didn't have to be constantly on guard. They were determined to make the most of the situation. 

Coming downstairs, Kagome spied Sango and Miroku as they were fascinated with the television, and made a decision. She would help them along in their relationship, even if her own were dying.

Not wanting to bother her friends, Kagome went back to her room and eyed the priestess clothing with loathing. She was determined to prove him wrong, to show him that she was more than capable of completing these Trials.

'_Wear these clothes the whole time you are at home, even at your school thing_,' he said. Fine, if that is what he wanted, that's what she would do. But something was wrong with that statement—Kagome had already graduated and InuYasha knew this. Did he forget? Or was he talking about junior college? He couldn't know that she had signed up to take courses at the junior college because she hadn't told anyone about that, not even her mother. She didn't know what to think any more, but she knew that she was tired. Looking at her clock, she realized that she had more than enough time to take a nap. The minute her head hit the pillow, she was asleep.

* * *

Mrs. Higurashi wasn't stupid. She knew there was more to the story than Kagome was telling her, but she decided to leave the matter alone. It was obvious that whatever had transpired between InuYasha and Kagome after he healed had deeply wounded her daughter, but she had no doubts about their love. It wouldn't be love if there weren't bumps along the way, and this was yet another obstacle for them to overcome. Besides, they were destined to be together. She knew that the reason she accepted her husband's marriage proposal was because InuYasha's soul was calling to hers through the Goshinboku. She was the future mother of his mate, and his soul recognized her. 

When her daughter was a baby and she was fussy, sitting under the Goshinboku was the only way to comfort her. As a child, she spent hours in and around the tree, drawing comfort from its strength. Even after her confrontations with InuYasha, Mrs. Higurashi could find her daughter seated under the Goshinboku, thinking. If they had conquered so much, surely this last test would not stop their love.

As she stared at her precious baby girl, Mrs. Higurashi couldn't stop the small smile that graced her lips. Her daughter had grown into such a wonderful woman, and this difficulty would only bring her closer to her beloved. Of that she was certain. This love transcended time, death and fate. Certainly it could overcome this small adversity.

* * *

_Author's notes:_ I must apologize for this taking so long. This chapter has been half-written since I posted the last one. It just didn't come out right. Even now, I'm dissatisfied with it, but you've waited long enough. It was originally twice the length, but too much of it didn't flow, so it had to be taken apart and re-worked. The next chapter is almost done, so it shouldn't be that long between updates. 

**Drake Clawfang:** Yes, it's still Kag/Inu. They'll be together in some way, shape or form at the end.

**PKIS:**Thanks for the congratulations. Part of the reason why this chapter is so late is because I had to transition to not being in school. I'm 24, and I've been going to school for the last 21 years (pre-school at 3) so it was really hard for me to adjust to my new lifestyle. Not quite there yet, but getting there.

**hyperdude:** Thanks for your review. That was part of my motivation for starting this story. I want to show that neither one of them is perfect (Kagome) or asinine (InuYasha). They both make mistakes, have moments of deep insight, and care for others. It's just a different presentation.

**mikkey hodge/Peacemaker:** Glad both of you like it.

**Raven222:** Once the Trial is set in motion, neither party can make a move regarding the relationship. They're at a stalemate until the conclusion of the Trial.

**Elena:** I seriously thought about your review. I realize that what Kagome is undergoing is difficult, but necessary. She knows very little about the time that will soon become her own, and she needs to know that she can survive anything thrown at her. InuYasha is a half-demon--people won't take kindly to their union. She also needs to experience some of what he underwent in order to understand him.

**FrozenMiko:** Oh yeah, I definitely feel sorry for both of them as well. There's so much that both could have done differently to change what happened, but they didn't, and now they both suffer. The angst is coming next chapter. All I can say is this: poor Kagome.

**Murasahki-chan:** Someone after my own heart. You'll get your Sess/Inu bonding in two chapters. Someone has to explain why InuYasha is suddenly recognized as Sesshomaru's brother. **Caitriona695:** There's a reason Love is first. Empathy comes later. She has to demonstrate her love by coming clean about it to her friends. It's about loving herself and InuYasha enough to tell her friends the truth and take whatever they have to say. Once she proves her love, then she will have to defend her and her love's honor. spoiled myself That should be interesting.

**Paperkut-:** Glad you like it. Don't know about the spanking, though :)

**Dragonlance:** Yes, my updating is atrocious. Thanks for the congrats, though. Don't know if she's going to "school" in the uniform, in the way you're thinking.


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